LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA, 
DAVIS 


BERTRA^D 
ACRES  Of-  BOOK* 

MO  PACIFIC  AVENUI 
ALIF 


KATE 

A   COMEDY   IN    FOUR 
ACTS 


KATE 

A  COMEDY  IN  FOUR  ACTS 

BY 

BRONSON  HOWARD 


KING  HENRY  .  .  .  THANK   LOVE  FOR  MY 

BLINDNESS.    .    .    .    SHALL  KATE  BE  MY  WIFE? 

— HENRY  V,  v.  2 


NEW  YORK  AND  LONDON 
HARPER    &   BROTHERS,  PUBLISHERS 

MCMVI 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
DAVIS 


COPYRIGHT,       1906,      BY 

BRONSON     HOWARD 

"T^ight  of 'Performance  Reserved 


NOTE 

EXCEPTING  the  word  "Act,"  which 
seems  as  clear  and  as  familiar  as  any 
other  word  that  could  be  used  for  the 
purpose,  all  the  technicalities  of  the  stage  are 
utterly  ignored  in  this  comedy  as  here  printed; 
and  even  the  names  of  the  speakers  are  not 
constantly  repeated  as  heretofore  thought 
necessary  in  all  dramatic  publications.  Their 
continual  and  useless  repetition,  wearying 
to  the  eye  and  a  bar  to  the  natural  move 
ment  of  thought,  is  no  more  necessary  to  the 
reader  of  a  play  than  to  the  reader  of  the 
occasional  dialogues  in  a  novel.  So  far  as 
the  mere  form  of  the  play  is  concerned  the 
author  wishes  if  possible  to  carry  the  imagi 
nation  directly  to  scenes  of  real  life  and  not 
to  the  stage.  To  ask  a  man  sitting  in  a 
library  first  to  imagine  himself  in  a  theatre, 
then  to  imagine  himself  somewhere  else,  is  to 
obscure  if  not  destroy  the  true  dramatic 
effect  of  what  he  reads.  We  make  every 


NOTE 


possible  effort  to  conceal  stage  technicalities 
from  the  spectator  in  a  theatre,  and  the 
speakers  are  not  labelled.  We  know  these 
things  only  at  rehearsal  and  in  the  "prompt 
book";  why  should  they  be  forced  on  one 
who  is  reading  a  play  instead  of  seeing  it 
performed? 


vi 


ACT  FIRST 
WHEN  MARRIAGE  is  A  FARCE 


ACT  SECOND 
LOVE  AND  LEGAL  DOCUMENTS 


ACT  THIRD 
STRONGER  THAN  LAW  OR  RITE 


ACT  FOURTH 
WHICH  WOULD  BE  A  WIFE? 


Vll 


CHARACTERS 

KATE  HARDENBECK.        BIANCA  DUNN. 
THE  HON.  DOROTHEA  CATHERST. 

THE  REV.  LORD   JOHN  VERNOR. 

ARCHIBALD    PENGRUE,    EARL    CATHERST. 

THE  REV.  EDWARD  LYELL. 

ERASTUS  G.  HARDENBECK. 

FRANKLIN  TENBROECK. 

THE  DUKE  OF  MAINWARTON. 

SCOTCHBURN  ANCOTT. 

CAPT.  LORD  FFOLLIET  PENGRUE. 

DE  PEYSTER  WOLFE. 

LADY  ST.  JOHN-GLYN. 

THE  DUCHESS  OF  MAINWARTON. 

PEELER  DIMPS.     MRS.  JANE  DUNN. 
NESBITT.  WATTMAN.  BAILEY. 

REGINALD.       HERBERT. 


PLACES   AND  TIME 

A  LARGE  part  of  the  comedy  passes  in 
or  near  a  village  in  Buckinghamshire, 
England,  during  September,  1905;  at 
the    Rectory    and   at    Throckmonck   Hall. 
The  play  ends  in  a  residence  on  Fifth  Ave 
nue,  New  York,   opposite  Central  Park,  in 
June,  1906. 

Buckinghamshire  is  a  few  miles  from 
London,  to  the  northwest,  beyond  Harrow- 
on-Hill;  richly  luxuriant  in  foliage,  pasture, 
farm-lands  and  gardens.  In  the  undulating 
valleys  among  the  Chiltern  Hills  and  their 
smaller  companion  ranges  there  are  many 
beautiful  private  parks,  surrounding  the 
mansions  of  old  families.  One  of  the  villages 
in  this  county  is  Chalfont  St.  Giles,  where 
Milton  finished  Paradise  Lost;  and  a  little 
further  southward  is  the  "country  church 
yard"  of  Gray's  Elegy,  at  Stoke  Poges;  with 
its  ancient  tombs  and  ewe-tree  lying  closely 
between  church  and  parsonage. 

Some  of  the  names,  local  and  personal,  are  spelled 
in  the  dialogue  as  they  are  to  be  pronounced;  not  as 
printed  elsewhere. 


ACT  I 

WHEN  MARRIAGE 
IS  A  FARCE 


ACT  FIRST 

WHEN    MARRIAGE    IS   A    FARCE 

"  T  THINK  this  is  the  book  you  asked  me 
to  find  for  you,  Mr.  Lyell. " 

-*  "Thank  you,  Wattman: — The  Holy 
Church  in  its  Relation  to  Marriage — Volume 
Third;  yes — this  is  the  one  I  meant.  Lord 
John  hasn't  returned  yet?" 

"No,  sir;  he  went  out  for  his  golf  this 
morning,  as  I  told  you,  and  he's  still  on  the 
links  I  suppose.  I — I'm  very  glad  you 
have  come  back  to  your  regular  work  in  the 
parish  as  curate,  Mr.  Lyell." 

"  I  hoped  to  return  some  weeks  ago,  before 
the  arrival  of  our  new  rector,  but  affairs 
at  our  mission  chapel  compelled  me  to  remain 
there.  You  have  seemed  a  little  troubled  at 
something,  Wattman,  ever  since  I  reached 
the  parsonage  an  hour  ago." 

"If  I  may  be  permitted  to  say  so,  the 
Reverend  Lord  John  Vernor  needs  an  exper- 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


ienced  curate,  sir,  and — if  I  may  take  the 
liberty — he — he  needs  one  constantly  at 
his  side.  Lord  John's  valet,  Mr.  Nesbitt, 
is  as  anxious  about  it  as  I  am,  sir.  We 
both  reminded  his  lordship  that  it  was  St. 
Lambert's  Day,  when  he  started  for  the 
links,  and  the  service  at  a  quarter  before 
twelve.  There  isn't  much  more  than  time 
now  for  Mr.  Nesbit  to  change  him.  One 
day,  Lord  John  was  obliged  to  hurry  into 
the  chancel  with  his  golf-suit  underneath 
his  robes,  sir." 

"Indeed!" 

"And — I  am  very  sorry  to  say  it,  sir — 
—but  our — our  new  rector  sometimes  forgets 
the — he — he  forgets  the  service  entirely 
now  and  then." 

"  He  forgets  divine  service? — in  the  Church 
of  God!  The  Rector  of  Pengrue-Catherst ! " 

The  Reverend  Edward  Lyell  looks  very 
serious;  and  the  little  gray-haired  man 
standing  near  his  chair  is  equally  serious, 
but  showing  the  reverent  bewilderment  of  an 
old  servant  in  the  Rectory,  rather  than  the 
offended  dignity  of  a  clergyman.  The  two 
men  are  silent  for  a  moment;  both  shocked. 


WHEN  MARRIAGE  IS  A  FARCE 

Mr.  Lyell  is  a  man  of  about  thirty-five 
years  or  a  little  less,  with  a  strong,  handsome 
face  and  an  accurately  cut  profile;  clean 
shaven,  of  course.  He  is  professionally 
"Reverend"  in  every  line  of  his  features, 
his  figure  and  his  costume;  in  every  attitude 
and  every  movement;  but  there  is  also  deep 
sincerity  in  the  calm  outlook  of  his  eye.  He 
belongs  to  that  class  of  truly  religious  men 
whose  intellectual  power,  firmness  of  pur 
pose  and  absolute  honesty  have  encouraged 
other  men  to  martyrdom  in  all  ages;  they 
remain  on  earth  themselves  and  in  good 
health  to  look  after  the  interests  of  the 
Church. 

The  old  servant  and  the  young  clergyman 
are  in  the  rectory  of  a  rural  church  in  the 
village  of  Pengrue-Catherst.  Through  open 
doors  and  through  the  small  panes  of  hori 
zontal  windows  there  is  seen  the  glimmer 
of  sunshine  on  trees,  old  tombs  and  rich 
lawn-grass ;  also  on  flowers,  growing  here  and 
there;  irregular,  as  if  almost  accidental.  It 
is  a  curious  mixture  of  churchyard  and  home- 
garden  which  seems  to  preserve  the  ancient 
dead  as  inmates  of  the  living  domestic 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


circle.  Beyond  this  meeting-place  of  many 
generations,  past  and  present,  the  heavy 
walls  of  the  village  church  loom  up  with 
windows  of  various  Gothic;  evidently  rebuilt 
from  time  to  time  in  utter  indifference  to 
preceding  forms  of  architecture;  but  now  so 
covered  by  Nature  that  her  mosses  and 
lichens  and  ivy  give  her  own  unity  of  design 
to  the  conflicting  arts  of  men. 

The  interior  of  the  rectory  indicates 
almost  as  many  past  generations  in  the 
perverse  obstinacy  of  its  lines  as  do  the 
Gothic  eccentricities  of  the  old  church 
or  the  dates  on  the  tombstones.  If  there 
are  any  artistic  discussions  in  the  shadowy 
under-village  of  an  English  rural  churchyard 
the  elder  ghosts  must  constantly  ask  the 
younger  ones,  each  in  his  due  succession, 
why  they  never  had  any  respect  for  the 
architectural  plans  and  esthetic  intentions  of 
their  forefathers.  A  heavy  beam  extends 
across  the  apartment  marking  the  original 
height  of  the  ceiling;  but  when  a  new  incum 
bent,  perhaps  in  the  recent  times  of  Queen 
Anne,  desired  a  larger  room  he  simply  threw  in 
a  pillar  or  two  for  support  and  the  additional 


WHEN  MARRIAGE  IS  A  FARCE 

space  shot  abruptly  upward  from  this  huge 
beam  to  a  higher  ceiling,  leaving  the  old 
room  itself  a  mere  alcove,  unaltered  and  un- 
adapted;  nor  do  the  added  walls  conform  with 
it  in  any  way,  woodwork  or  decoration. 
Another  ancient  room  wanders  off  on  one  side 
with  the  same  old  floor,  level  with  the  outer 
lawn,  and  the  same  small  panes  in  horizontal 
windows,  affording  still  other  glimpses  of 
the  trees  and  the  church.  On  the  opposite 
side  of  the  room  however  some  new  rector 
apparently  wished  to  get  further  away  from 
the  ground  with  another  wing;  so  a  platform 
and  balustrade  and  a  few  well-worn  steps 
stand  boldly  out  into  the  main  apartment, 
a  corner  of  the  lower  step  being  cut  off,  as 
the  afterthought  of  a  still  later  resident, 
to  let  the  outer  door  swing  open  properly. 
In  rebuilding  or  altering, whatever  occurred 
to  anyone's  fancy  was  always  the  next  thing 
done,  and  the  final  result  of  all  this  time- 
honored  chaos  is  exquisite  beauty.  There 
are  a  few  convenient  books  on  shelves  of 
blackened  oak;  also  a  desk,  of  merely  inci 
dental  use  to-day,  with  the  most  modern  of 
modern  stationery  implements,  but  sacred 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


in  previous  centuries  to  quill-pens  and  to 
ponderous  theological  sermon-writing.  A 
number  of  new  sermons  lie  on  the  ancient 
desk  now;  one  was  in  the  hands  of  the  clergy 
man  and  he  was  making  marginal  notes  on 
its  leaves  when  the  old  servant  brought  him 
the  volume  he  had  asked  for.  An  easel  on  or»e 
side  of  the  room  holds  an  old  oil  painting, 
partly  draped  on  account  of  a  half-nude 
female  figure,  the  drapery  being  a  compro 
mise  between  artistic  and  rural  ideas  ot  eccle 
siastical  propriety. 

The  silence  is  broken  gently  by  the  chimes 
of  the  old  church,  followed  by  strokes  of  the 
hour  on  a  single  bell. 

"Eleven  o'clock." 

The  venerable  servant  now  continues  in 
the  line  of  his  previous  remarks  and  in 
apologetic  respect  tempered  by  a  sense  of 
duty. 

"Yes,  Mr.  Lyell,  I  grieve  to  call  your 
attention  to  the  matter,  but  at  last  Wednes 
day's  service  there  was  a  dog-fight  near  the 
pond,  and  by  the  time  Lord  John  had  rubbed 
both  dogs  with  liniment  and  set  a  broken  leg 
for  one  of  them  the  congregation  had  to 

8 


WHEN  MARRIAGE  IS  A  FARCE 

walk  out  of  the  church  without  any  service 
at  all,  sir.  Of  course  the  organist  was  there 
and  he  did  all  he  could  to  fill  the  time.  He 
even  ventured  to  have  the  choir  boys  sing 
some  of  the  anthems,  but  there  was  no  one  in 
the  chancel.  I — I  afterwards  took  the  lib 
erty  of  — of  calling  Lord  John's  attention  to 
the  oversight/' 

"And  what  did  he  say  to  you,  Wattman?" 

"He  seemed  to  be  thinking  of  something 
else,  sir;  and  after  a  moment  he  merely  re 
marked  that  he'd  bet  three  guineas  to  one 
on  that  bull-terrier  against  any  other  dog 
in  the  village.  It's  a  great  relief  to  me  to 
have  you  here  again,  sir.  Of  course  we  all 
love  Lord  Jack"- 

The  sedate  young  clergyman  looks  up 
sharply  but  not  unkindly,  almost  with  a 
smile  indeed,  at  the  old  servant;  and  Watt- 
man  checks  himself  with  a  look  of  alarmed 
horror  at  his  own  indiscretion. 

"I  mean — Lord  John;  we — we  always 
called  him  Lord  Jack  in  the  old  days,  sir." 

"Yes,  I   remember." 

"When  he  was  a  wild  young  scape-grace, 
visiting  the  Duke  at  Thrummock  Hall;  we 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


all  loved  Lord  John  then;  and  we  do  now, 
sir;  but  things  are  very  different  in  the 
parish  from  when  old  Dr.  Willoughby  was 
our  rector." 

"Very  different,  Wattman;  very!" 

Mr.  Lyell  rises  and  crosses  the  room  to  a 
small  door  on  the  opposite  side. 

"You  may  say  to  Lord  Jack,  the  moment 
he  returns  " 

The  old  servant  now  glances  quickly  at  the 
clergyman. 

"Say  to  Lord  John — that  I  have  arrived. 
And  Wattman!  I  came  from  the  Mission 
Chapel  by  way  of  Chesham,  this  morning. 
In  driving  over  here  from  that  station  I 
heard  the  chimes  of  our  church  in  the  dis 
tance,  for  a  festival;  they  were  still  ringing 
when  I  reached  the  village." 

"The  arrival  of  Earl  Catherst  and  his 
intended  bride,  sir.  The  party  reached 
Thrummock  Hall  at  ten  o'clock." 

"The  young  American  girl,  Miss  Harden- 
beck." 

"With  her  father  and  mother,  sir;  and 
Captain  Lord  Ffolliet  also  came  down 
from  London  with  the  party.  The  young 

10 


WHEN  MARRIAGE  IS  A  FARCE 

lady  is  to  be  our  future  Duchess,  you  know, 
if  she  and  Earl  Catherst  both  live  to  inherit 
the  title;  which  God  grant!  They  say  she  is 
a  lovely  girl;  and  her  father  is  immensely 
rich,  like  all  Americans:  we  rang  the  bells 
to  welcome  her/' 

"When  did  you  last  see  Miss  Bianca  Dunn, 
Wattman?" 

"  Yesterday  evening;  I  intended  to  speak  to 
you  about  her,  sir.  She  looked  almost  ill 
and  she  seemed  extremely  nervous." 

"M— m." 

Mr.  Lyell  remains  silent  a  moment,  looking 
down,  then  walks  out  through  the  small  door 
in  deep  thought.  Wattman  looks  after  him, 
shaking  his  head  slowly,  with  a  long  breath; 
almost  a  sigh,  but  not  quite.  A  slight, 
neatly  dressed  man  opens  the  door  leading 
from  the  upper  room  to  the  obtrusive  landing 
and  balustrade.  He  has  the  watchful  and 
keen  eye  of  a  conscientious  and  authorative 
valet;  a  smooth  face;  lips  well  chiselled,  and 
well  trained,  also,  not  to  express  his  thoughts 
except  when  he  feels  it  is  quite  proper  for  him 
to  do  so.  He  holds  two  clerical  collars  in 
his  hands. 

ii 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


"Mr.  Wattman!  I  begin  to  feel  very 
anxious  again  about  Lord  John;  the  St. 
Lambert's  Day  services  at  a  quarter  before 
twelve." 

He  looks  around  the  room  carefully  as  if 
to  be  sure  that  their  absolute  privacy  justi 
fies  the  next  remark. 

"  If  a  pretty  woman  is  going  around  the 
links  with  Lord  John,  Saint  Lambert  will 
lose  his  day." 

"Our  curate,  Mr.  Lyell,  has  returned." 

"That   relieves   my  mind." 

Mr  Nesbitt  walks  down  the  steps  very 
deliberately  and  continues. 

"My  new  responsibilities  are  making  me 
quite  nervous.  I  was  valet  of  the  wildest 
young  nobleman  in  London,  and  now  he  is 
Rector  of  a  venerable  rural  parish.  You  can 
help  me  with  your  advice,  Mr.  Wattman. 
This  morning  one  of  the  Duchess  of  Man- 
nerton's  maids  winked  at  me  as  she  was 
passing  in  the  family  coach.  I  knew  ex 
actly  what  to  do  under  such  circumstances 
when  my  master  and  I  were  members  of 
society  in  London;  but  what  would  be  good 
form  on  my  part  now,  as  the  valet  of  a 
clergyman?" 

12 


WHEN  MARRIAGE  IS  A  FARCE 

"Some  of  us  must  keep  up  the  dignity  of 
the  parish,  Mr.  Nesbitt." 

"  I  took  that  view  of  my  present  position, 
and  I  looked  severely  at  the  young  woman. " 

The  Rev.  Lord  John  Vernor  walks  in  from 
the  churchyard  garden;  in  golfing  costume, 
carrying  a  bag  of  clubs;  a  single  glass  in  his 
eye;  a  briarwood  pipe.  He  tosses  the  clubs 
to  Nesbitt  and  turns  to  Wattman. 

"Has   Mr.    Lyell   arrived   yet?" 

"  Yes,  Lord  John;  he  wished  me  to  tell  you." 

"I'll  see  him  at  once." 

Then,  after  Wattman  has  disappeared: — 

"Lay  out  my  riding  togs,  Nesbitt;  I'll 
have  a  run  on  the  mare  after  luncheon." 

"But  service,   Lord  John,   at" — 

"Service?" 

"St.  Lambert's  "- 

"Oh! — of  course.  My  clerical  togs.  Has 
my  new  suit  of  ecclesiastical  armor  arrived 
from  London,  yet?" 

"Yes,  my  Lord." 

"  I  '11  crawl  into  that.    Ah !  Lyell,  old  man ! " 

"Lord  John!" 

Mr.  Lyell  has  re-appeared  from  the  next 
room  and  the  two  men  meet  as  old  friends, 
shaking  hands  cordially. 

13 


KATE:  A  COMEDY 


"  I  was  looking  for  you  all  last  week,  Ned/ ' 

"  I  was  detained  at  the  mission  longer  than 
was  expected/' 

"  I  am  sorry,  my  lord,  to  interrupt  you 
and  Mr.  Lyell;  but"- 

"What  is  it,  Nesbitt?" 

"If  Mr.  Lyell  will  pardon  me — our  time 
before  the  service  is  so  short — and  I  shouldn't 
like  to  put  on  the  new  suit  without  knowing 
—may  I  ask  your  opinion,  sir,  as  to  these 
two  collars?  One  of  them  is  much  higher 
than"— 

"Oh! — get  up  stairs,  Nesbitt; — whichever 
you  put  on  me —  it  will  choke  the  life  out  of 
me." 

Nesbitt  turns  reluctantly  and  re-ascends 
the  steps  into  the  apartment;  still  looking 
with  dubious  professional  anxiety  at  the 
two  collars  in  his  hands  as  he  disappears. 
Mr.  Lyell  has  moved  across  to  the  desk, 
where  he  now  sits;  and  Lord  John  drops  into 
a  comfortable  old  armchair  in  the  middle  of 
the  room. 

"We  haven't  met  for  a  dozen  years, Ned." 

"Not  since  we  were  studying  Divinity  to 
gether,  at  Oxford." 

14 


WHEN  MARRIAGE  IS  A  FARCE 

"You  know  why  /  was  studying  Divinity, 
old  man;  simply  because  I  was  the  third 
son  of  a  British  nobleman,  with  a  rich  living 
in  the  church  at  his  disposal — three  thou 
sand  pounds  a  year.  My  revered  grandfather, 
the  sixth  Marquis  of  Garth,  almost  dissipated 
the  ancestral  estates;  and  my  august  father, 
the  seventh  Marquis,  was  losing  twenty 
thousand  guineas  a  year  on  the  turf.  The 
eighth  Marquis  of  Garth,  that  is  to  be,  my 
eldest  brother,  was  going  the  pace  and 
needed  all  the  spare  cash  in  the  family,  ex 
cept  what  my  second  brother,  in  the  Horse 
Guards,  was  spending  on  his  military  duty 
and  ballet-girls.  Where  did  /  come  in? 
My  only  choice,  as  third  son,  was  between 
rigid  economy  and  Divinity.  I  had  no 
taste  for  either  of  them.  But  I  couldn't  en 
dure  economy:  so  the  Church  has  to  endure 
me/' 

"When  we  parted  from  each  other  at 
Oxford"- 

"  I  was  coming  to  that.  I  elected  not  to 
take  holy  orders  after  receiving  my  degree, 
and  I  told  you  I  was  going  into  the  army. 
My  dear  old  Aunt  Elizabeth  had  left  her  for- 


KATE :  A  COMEDY 


tune  to  me  and  I  was  free.  But — Ah!— 
Ned!" 

He   holds   up   his   monocle. 

"That  little  piece  of  glass  is  all  there  is 
left  of  my  military  ambition;  and  Nesbitt 
won't  let  me  use  that  in  the  pulpit.  Even 
my  moustache  is  gone.  I'd  much  prefer 
to  order  the  congregation  to  counter-march 
down  the  centre  aisle,  but  I  am  obliged  to 
dismiss  it  with  my  blessing.  The  Church  of 
England  was  deprived  of  my  services  for 
exactly  the  time  it  took  me  to  spend  my 
aunt's  fortune." 

"I  heard,  of  course,  that  you  had  lost  it." 

"I  didn't  lose  a  penny  of  it;  it  might 
have  been  better  if  I  had;  I  enjoyed  every 
guinea.  But  it's  gone.  When  old  Dr.  Wil- 
loughby  died  my  august  father  com 
manded  me,  and  my  dear  mother  implored 
me,  to  keep  this  parish  in  the  family,  with 
its  three  thousand  pounds  a  year.  So  I 
coached  up  on  my  Divinity  studies  again, 
and  here  I  am.  By  right  of  long  and  faithful 
service,  Ned,  you  ought  to  be  in  my  place 
as  rector  instead  of  continuing  here  as 
my  curate." 

16 


WHEN  MARRIAGE  IS  A  FARCE 

"It    has    pleased    Divine    Providence" — 

"And  the  Marquis  of  Garth — to  order 
otherwise.  I  only  hope  you  will  remain  with 
me  awhile,  and  not  look  after  your  own 
professional  interests  elsewhere.  I  know, 
of  course,  that  higher  honors  await  you  when 
you  seek  them." 

"It  seems  to  be  my  duty  to  remain  here 
at  present/' 

"I'm  glad  you  take  that  view  of  it,  for 
I  need  you,  Ned.  It's  rather  odd  in  its  way, 
but  at  the  end  of  twelve  years  in  the  very 
vortex  of  fast  life  in  London  I  came  out 
with  a  conscience,  old  man.  It's  a  broken 
and  battered  old  conscience,  but  I  am  patch 
ing  it  up.  I  have  taken  this  holy  office  for 
a  mean,  contemptible  motive,  and  I  cannot 
retain  enough  self-respect  to  be  comfortable 
without  fulfilling  the  more  serious  duties  of 
my  position  as  well  as  I  possibly  can,  for 
the  good  of  the  parish.  A  thousand  human 
souls,  more  or  less,  are  in  my  spiritual  charge 
and  I'm  the  worst  heathen  of  the  lot.  I 
don't  worry  myself  much  about  the  regular 
services;  that's  mere  routine,  and  I  can  drop 
into  the  habit  as  well  as  anybody  else  after 

17 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


a  little.  But  as  the  pastor  of  a  flock — that 
troubles  me — I'm  not  in  it." 

Wattman  announces  a  caller;  Lady  St. 
John-Glyn.  The  Rev.  Lord  John  Vernor 
speaks  quickly  and  with  marked  em 
phasis. 

"Show  Lady  Sinjon-Glyn  to  Mr.  Lyell's 
study,  Wattman." 

The  old  servant  retires;  and  the  curate 
looks  at  his  rector  inquiringly. 

"You  and  I  will  divide  the  work  of  the 
parish  between  us,  Lyell.  Whenever  ladies 
call  to  consult  with  their  shepherd — the 
younger  ones,  I  mean — you  will  see  them." 

Mr.  Lyell  starts  to  his  feet. 

"Sit  down,  Ned!  It  is  for  the  good  of  the 
parish.  A  woman  of  thirty  and  a  woman 
of  sixty  are  all  the  same  to  you,  but  I  can 
still  detect  a  difference.  Sit  down!" 

Mr  Lyell  sinks  reluctantly  towards  his 
seat,  but  the  unexpected  division  of  clerical 
duties  seems  to  strike  his  mind  with  re 
newed  force.  Lord  John  motions  him  to 
his  chair  with  half-appealing,  half-author 
itative  gestures. 

"For  the  good  of  the  parish,  Ned." 

18 


WHEN  MARRIAGE  IS  A  FARCE 

Mr.  Lyell  finally  resumes  his  seat  and 
Lord  John  proceeds. 

"Now  I  have  something  particularly  ser 
ious  to  say  to  you.  As  I  have  already  told 
you,  I  have  the  battered  remnants  of  a  con 
science,  but  even  with  your  help  as  my 
curate — we  are  both  bachelors — I  could  not 
possibly  meet  my  overwhelming  obligations 
to  the  people  of  this  parish  without  a  wife 
at  my  side  interested  with  me  in  the  work. 
I  am  speaking  in  strict  professional  confi 
dence,  for  our  marriage  is  not  yet  announced. 
But  the  woman  I  need  has  come  to  me,  as 
an  angel  might  appear  to  a  man  at  the  dead 
of  night  when  the  darkness  is  deepest.  You 
know  her  well;  Miss  Dorothea  Catherst." 

"Niece  of  the  Duchess? — the  Earl's  cousin 
— I  congratulate  you;  no  one  in  the  parish, 
while  Dr.  Willoughby  was  living,  assisted 
us  so  continually  and  so  efficiently  as  Miss 
Catherst." 

"Her  purity  of  character  and  her  in 
nocence  of  the  world  fascinate  me.  It  will 
be  the  usual  unfair  exchange  between  man 
and  woman.  My  'love',  as  I  may  call  it 
perhaps,  seems  rank  and  stale  in  her  pres- 

19 


KATE :  A  COMEDY 


ence,  and  I  hardly  dared  to  use  the  word 
when  I  proposed  marriage  to  her.  But  even 
a  man  like  me  may  offer  the  tribute  of  rev 
erence  to  a  good  woman." 

"Miss  Catherst's  strong  sense  of  duty" — 

"That's  what  I  seem  to  see  in  Dorothea's 
eyes  when  she  looks  into  mine;  a  sense  of 
duty." 

"I  am  very  glad  you  have  arranged  the 
marriage.  And  now,  Lord  John,  we'll  ex 
change  a  few  words  if  you  like  about 
those  sermons." 

"Oh! — the  ones  I  sent  to  you  last  week; 
have  you  looked  them  over?" 

"Yes;  they  are  here  on  the  desk." 

"Is  the  theology  all  right  for  this  parish? 
About  the  same  as  Dr.  Willoughby's?  I'd 
like  to  have  my  theology  match  on  to  his, 
you  know;  it'll  save  explanations." 

"All  the  doctrinal  sermons  are  sound 
apparently  for  the  Church  of  England,  and 
they  quite  agree  with  Dr.  Willoughby's 
opinions — except  one;  that  is  Scotch  Pres 
byterian." 

"Bob  Nicholson  got  'em  mixed;  he  wrote 
the  lot  for  me — fifty  pounds.  Bob's  down 

20 


WHEN  MARRIAGE  IS  A  FARCE 

on  his  luck  just  now,  you  know.  We  must 
change  that  one.  My  Church  of  England 
sermon  has  gone  to  some  Scotchman;  I  hope 
he  hasn't  preached  it." 

"  Here  is  one  sermon  which  is  not  doc 
trinal,  and  it  seems  to  be  in  your  own  hand 
writing;  the  rest  are  typewritten.  You  have 
given  this  one  a  title  as  well  as  a  text; 
— Marriage  and  the  Marriage  Ceremony.' ' 

"I  didn't  intend  to  send  you  that;  wrote 
it  myself.  I  don't  need  to  consult  you  or 
anybody  else,  Ned,  on  moral  and  social 
subjects.  There  isn't  another  clergyman 
in  England  that  knows  more  about  social 
morality  than  I  do.  The  rest  of  them  take  a 
bird's-eye  view  of  it  and  twitter;  I  have  had 
a  closer  view  and  I  can  screech." 

"  You  must  allow  me  to  make  a  suggestion 
concerning  this  sermon  on  the  score  of 
prudence;  this  passage,  for  instance." 

Mr.  Lyell  reads  from  the  sermon  in  his 
hand. 

The  Holy  Church  has  no  authority  to 
sanctify  a  marriage  based  on  mere  worldly 
interest  or  social  ambition.  In  such  a  case 
even  the  church  service  cannot  make  a  man 

21 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


and  woman  husband  and  wife  in  the  eyes  of 
God.  Their  cohabitation  is  sin! — and  the 
blessing  of  the  clergyman  does  not  change  the 
fact. 

"Well?" 

Mr.  Lyell  still  reads. 

Such  a  union,  being  a  strictly  business 
transaction,  makes  the  Holy  Order  of  Matri 
mony  in  our  Book  of  Common  Prayer  a  mere 
theatrical  farce,  performed  in  the  very  chancel 
of  the  sacred  edifice.  The  performance  of 
such  a  farce  by  any  clergyman,  knowingly, 
is  a  sacrilegious  act. 

"How,  may  I  ask,  Lord  John,  can  the 
clergyman  interfere?" 

"He  can't,  perhaps.  But  he  can  at  least 
show  some  interest  in  the  subject;  he  need  not 
ignore  it  and  he  need  not  lend  his  church 
without  question  to  display  weddings  when 
the  parties  are  notoriously  married  for  money 
or  for  title/' 

"You  continue:"— 

In  Baptism  a  clergyman  asks,  at  least,  if 
this  child  has  been  baptised  before,  and  in 
Confirmation  he  examines  each  applicant 
rigidly  and  personally,  not  content  with  read- 

22 


WHEN  MARRIAGE  IS  A  FARCE 

ing  a  few  passages  to  him  from  a  printed  book. 
Even  the  dead  are  refiised  Christian  burial. 
But  in  Marriage  which  we  call  holy — and  it 
is  quite  as  holy  as  dying — too  many  of  our 
clergymen  care  nothing  for  the  fact  that  the 
motive  may  be  a  low  personal  interest,  and 
they  seldom  even  preach  sermons  on  the  subject. 
The  words  of  the  service  are  sometimes  mere 
blasphemy  as  they  drop  from  a  pastor's  lips, 
and  all  that  hear  them  know  it. 

Wattman   announces   another  caller. 

"Policeman    Dimps,    Lord    John/' 

"Show  him  in.  /  will  see  the  men,  Lyell. 
What's  the  trouble  with  that  sermon?  You 
spoke  of  prudence;  isn't  what  I  say  true?" 

"  You  will  probably  hear  from  the  Bishop 
if  you  read  it  in  the  pulpit. " 

"  I  am  more  familiar  with  the  practical 
results  of  such  marriages  than  any  bishop 
in  England.  My  own  character,  to  say 
nothing  of  my  fortune,  was  wrecked  with 
the  ready  assistance  of  women  who  had 
married  for  money  or  for  social  position.  Do 
I  want  more  evidence?  I  can  get  it  from  a 
hundred  other  young  fools  such  as  I  was. 
Who  are  the  women  that  break  other 

23 


KATE :  A  COMEDY 


women's  hearts?  They  are  the  social  wrecks 
of  marriage  for  ambition  and  wealth;  floating 
derelicts  that  make  our  domestic  life  a 
peril.  Let  us  fight  against  divorce  at  the 
altar  of  the  Church;  in  the  Law  Courts  or 
the  Legislature  it  is  too  late.  Whatever 
else  I  may  be,  Lyell,  in  my  sacred  office— 
a  mere  hired  Christian  and  a  hypocrite — I 
am  an  honest  missionary  in  that  field." 

The  cheery  cynicism,  calm,  almost  in 
different  and  covering  a  smile  though  not 
a  sneer,  which  the  new  "Rector"  had  shown 
in  most  of  the  above  conversation — except 
when  he  spoke  in  a  reverential  tone  of  the 
Honorable  Miss  Dorothea  Catherst — dis 
appeared  entirely  when  the  subject  of  mar 
riage  came  up  as  discussed  in  his  own  ser 
mon.  Earnest  conviction  has  now  taken  the 
place  of  cynicism  and  Lord  John  shows  the 
curiously  impressive  seriousness  of  a  man 
of  the  world  when  aroused,  only  for  a 
moment  perhaps,  to  more  vital  thoughts  of 
life  than  he  is  accustomed  to  consider. 
There  is  a  slight  flush  on  his  face  as  he  rises 
with  the  last  words,  turns  toward  the  open 
door  and  looks  off  into  the  little  church- 

24 


WHEN  MARRIAGE  IS  A  FARCE 

yard.  The  chimes  in  the  old  tower  are 
heard  again,  giving  the  few  musical  notes  of 
the  first  quarter. 

A  rural  policeman,  solid  of  frame  and 
round  of  face — a  face  glowing  with  the  bright 
tint  of  health,  which  overlies  a  more  deeply 
ruddy  color  due  to  frequent  mugs  of  ale — is 
shown  in  with  quiet  solemnity  by  the  old 
servant,  who  disappears  in  silence.  The 
new-comer  stands  respectfully  until  ad 
dressed,  after  acknowledging  a  slight  in 
clination  of  the  head  from  Mr.  Lyell  with 
the  half-military,  half-menial  salute  peculiar 
to  an  English  policeman.  Lord  John  turns 
back  again. 

"Dimps!" 

"Lord  Jack! — I  mean,  Lord  John.  I 
ask  your  pardon,  my  lord;  but  everybody 
in  Pengrue-Catherst " — 

"It'll  take  time,  Dimps,  and  there's  only 
a  slight  change  after  all  since  I  used  to 
visit  here.  I  broke  the  laws  then  and  I  en 
force  them  now.  You  were  obliged  to  haul 
me  up  to  the  Magistrate  occasionally;  to-day, 
I  am  a  magistrate,  myself.  What  can  I  do 
for  you?" 

25 


KATE :  A  COMEDY 


uTow  Path   Bill,  your  lordship" 

"  Bill  Grouter,  the  millhand?  He  is  keep 
ing  the  promise  of  his  youth,  I  suppose. 
Do  you  still  have  trouble  with  him?" 

"Off en,  my  lord." 

"By  the  bye,  Lyell;  we  forgot.  Lady 
Sinjon-Glyn  is  waiting  for  you/' 

Mr.  Lyell  starts  to  his  feet  and  moves 
across  the  room. 

"Remember,  Ned,  all  the  young  ones  are 
in  your  department — Heaven  save  the  par 
ish — and  me! — if  they  weren't!" 

The  Reverend  Mr.  Lyell  walks  out 
gravely  into  his  study. 

"Well,  Dimps— what  about  Tow  Path 
Bill?" 

f  'E's  the    most  violent  and    dangerous 
man  in  the  county  now,  my  lord!" 

"I  dare  say." 

"And  Vs  comin'  'ome  from  prison  on  the 
one-fifteen  train  this  afternoon.  Every  time 
Tow  Path  Bill  comes  'ome  from  prison 
'e  gets  drunk  and  wallups  the  poor  wife  and 
we  all  feels  for  'er,  my  lord;  with  a  black 
eye  for  two  weeks  afterwards.  Dr.  Wil- 
loughby  used  to  meet  'im  at  the  railway 

26 


WHEN  MARRIAGE  IS  A  FARCE 

station  when  'e  come  'ome  from  prison  and 
he  prayed  with  him." 

"Dr.  Willoughby's  treatment  was  not 
successful  apparently!" 

"No,  my  lord;  and  it  does  seem  a  great 
pity  too,  Lord  John.  You  know  the  swift 
part  of  the  river  runnin'  by  the  mills 
under  Thrummock  'all  'ill.  Tow  Path  Bill 
'as  pulled  more  women  and  children  and 
drunken  men  out  'o  that  reach  than  'e  could 
count  on  'is  fingers  and 'is  two  thumbs;  but 
'e  can't  count  more'n  five  and  no  one  knows 
'ow  many  'e  'as  saved;  and  sometimes  it's 
a  near  squeak  for  'is  h'own  life.  'E's  a  val- 
able  citizen,  Tow  Path  Bill  is,  when  'e  isn't 
drunk  and  'ittin'  some'un;  and  'e  doesn't 
stop  when  'e's  been  'ittin'  'is  wife,  h'either. 
'£'  'its  the  rest  of  us.  When  I  sees  'im  drunk 
I  allus  waits  till  he  gets  more  drunk  and  then 
I  drags  'im  in.  Will  you  be  at  the  station, 
Lord  John?  It  might  'elp  some;  perhaps 
'e'll  be  summat  in  liquor  when  'e  h'arrives 
and  'e  may  be  h'open  to  religious  h'influ- 


ences.' 


"You  may  give  a  message  to  Tow  Path 
Bill  for  me  when  he  gets  off  the  train.    Tell 


27 


KATE:  A  COMEDY 


him  I  will  send  him  a  ten  pound  note  every 
time  he  rescues  a  human  being  from  the 


river/ 


"E  deserves  it,  Lord  John." 

"And  more  than  that  amount  if  it's  a 
dangerous  case  and  he  puts  his  own  life  in 
serious  peril.  You  may  also  say  to  him  for 
me  that  every  time  he  gives  his  wife  a 
black  eye  the  new  rector  will  give  him  a 
black  eye." 

"My  lord!" 

"We  will  pray  together  afterwards;  I 
am  merely  modifying  Dr.  Willoughby's 
treatment.  And  you  may  assure  Tow  Path 
Bill  that  it  is  my  intention  to  make  him  the 
best  Christian  in  my  parish  if  I  have  to 
break  every  bone  in  his  body  to  save  his 
soul." 

A  pretty  young  woman,  daintily  dressed, 
steps  into  the  room  at  the  door  leading 
from  Mr.  Lyell's  study  and  stops  abruptly. 

"Lady  Sinjon-Glyn!" 

"Lord  John!" 

They  bow  with  all  the  formality  due  to 
the  presence  of  a  third  person,  especially 
one  of  an  humbler  class;  to  whom  Lord 
John  again  turns. 

28 


WHEN  MARRIAGE  IS  A  FARCE 

"Give  Tow  Path  Bill  a  pastor's  blessing, 
Dimps." 

"Yes,  Lord  Jack — I  mean — good-day, 
Lord  John." 

Peeler  Dimps — every  English  "Bobby" 
is  known  also  as  a  "Peeler" — is  evidently  em 
barrassed  by  the  rich  confusion  of  ideas  in 
his  head  and  halfbacks  out  of  the  door  behind 
him,  turning  nervously  to  recover  his  official 
dignity,  but  finally  disappearing  without  any 
very  definite  impression  apparently  of  how 
he  gets  out  of  the  room. 

The  pretty  stranger  now  looks  at  the 
Rector  with  a  twist  of  the  head  on  the  neck 
common  to  canaries  and  young  women 
fully  conscious  of  their  own  charms.  An 
impatient  smile,  suppressed  just  long  enough 
for  the  policeman  to  disappear,  rises  to  her 
lips  and  dimples  her  face.  Her  eyes  twinkle 
mischievously. 

"Jack,  old  boy!" 

"Fannie!" 

"  You  tried  to  put  me  off  on  your  curate!" 

"He  let  you  escape." 

A  burst  of  laughter. 

"Lady  Betty  Arden  and  Mallory  Marsh- 
banks  and  the  Countess" — 

29 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


"Little  Hawksbury?  Is  she  back  from 
India?" 

"M — m.  They're  all  down  from  London 
to  visit  me  for  a  month,  and  we  four  women 
have  put  our  heads  together.  We've  formed 
a  syndicate,  to  help  you  in  your  parish  work." 

"The  Reverend  Mr.  Lyell  wiH"- 

"Oh — no!  I  don't  wonder  you  want  to 
put  the  young  women  off  on  him,  but  not 
the  Syndicate!" 

Again  the  canary-bird  twist  of  her  neck, 
the  sparkle  in  the  eye  and  the  smile;  be 
coming  deadly.  She  moves  to  his  side  and 
places  her  right  hand  in  his  arm,  rests  her 
left  hand  over  it  and  lays  her  cheek  on  his 
shoulder,  looking  up  at  him. 

"  It's  hard,  Jack,  isn't  it?  We  all  pity  you 
—struggling  to  be  good! — and  we're  all  here 
to  help  you." 

Then  another  merry  peal  of  laughter  as 
she  swings  away  from  him.  She  stops  sud 
denly  before  the  picture  and  raises  the  folds 
that  half  cover  it. 

"The  Temptation  of  St.  Anthony!" 

Still  holding  up  the  drapery  of  the  easel, 
she  looks  over  her  shoulder. 

3° 


WHEN  MARRIAGE  IS  A  FARCE 

"  I  daresay  you  can  resist  a  pretty  woman, 
Jack,  when  you're  as  old  as  he  was.  But 
I'd  rather  trust  the  young  woman  than  the 
old  saint.  Depend  upon  it  she  saved  St. 
Anthony;  that  was  the  miracle.  We  women 
save  you  men  from  yourselves.  I  wonder 
how  often  I've  saved  you  from  yourself, 
Jack." 

"It's  a  way  you  women  in  our  set  have; 
put  a  man  where  he  needs  saving  and  then 
save  him.  Ah,  well! — it's  no  use  for  me  to 
talk  seriously  to  you,  Fannie;  you  four 
women  know  all  about  my  past  life." 

"No,  we  don't.  We're  not  so  big  a 
syndicate  as  that.  There  was  Paris  as  well 
as  London,  and  Monte  Carlo  and  Nice. 
Oh! — that's  what  I  came  in  to  see  you  about 
to-day;  Nice.  You  remember  when  you  re 
turned  from  Nice  last  February,  just  after 
the  Mardi  Gras  ball." 

She  holds  up  a  very  delicate  lace  hand 
kerchief  of  rich  pattern. 

"Lady  Betty  Arden  stole  this  from  your 
chambers  in  the  Albany." 

"Oh!— it  was  Betty,  was  it?" 

"Of  course    I    couldn't   give   it    to    Mr. 


KATE :  A  COMEDY 


Lyell.  Your  curate  can't  take  your  place 
with  us  young  women  in  everything.  Lady 
Betty  asked  me  to  return  the  precious 
souvenir  to  you." 

She  gives  him  the  handkerchief;  he  re 
ceives  it  quietly  and  with  little  apparent 
interest. 

"Thank  you." 

"  It  is  our  first  effort  to  assist  you  in  your 
parochial  duties.  You  once  raved  over  that 
little  piece  of  lace  as  if  it  were  as  large  as  a 
table-cloth/' 

"It  is  only  a  reminder  now  of  a  life  that 
I  regret.  I  shall  destroy  it." 

"Such  a  confection  as  that!  I  will  report 
the  sacrifice  to  the  ladies  of  the  Syndicate. 
It  will  encourage  us  greatly  in  our  good 
work." 

Folding  her  hands,  with  falling  eyelids. 

"How  is  your  venerable  husband,  Sir 
William?" 

"Very  ill  indeed;  and  more  and  more 
like  an  angel  as  he  loses  strength.  The 
darling  old  man!  He  grows  better  and 
weaker  every  day;  I  can't  keep  him  out  of 
Heaven  much  longer.  Good-bye!" 

32 


WHEN  MARRIAGE  IS  A  FARCE 

They  bow  almost  solemnly  and  she  turns 
away  demurely  through  the  door  to  the 
further  apartment;  looks  back;  tosses  him 
a  kiss;  disappears.  Lord  John  is  thought 
ful  a  moment  though  smiling  as  he  looks 
after  her;  then  turns  away  and  suddenly 
glances  down  at  the  handkerchief  in  his 
hand.  He  is  still  regarding  it  steadily  as 
Wattman  announces  Mrs.  Jane  Dunn. 

"Show  her  to  Mr.  Lyell.    How  old  is  she?" 

"About  sixty"— 

"I'll  see  her." 

Wattman  goes  out;  and  Lord  John,  re 
turning  to  the  handkerchief,  slowly  spreads 
it  over  his  hand.  He  seems  to  recall  a 
memory  and  raises  the  bit  of  lace  uncon 
sciously  towards  his  face;  stops  a  moment 
with  his  eyes  fixed  upon  it;  then  presses 
it  against  his  lips. 

A  plain  old  lady,  in  simple  dress,  is  shown 
in  by  the  servant,  who  disappears,  leaving 
her  to  await  Lord  John's  attention.  The 
latter  finally  turns  to  the  visitor  and  places 
the  handkerchief  in  his  breast  pocket  quickly. 

"Mrs.  Dunn!" 

"Our — our   pastor!     You    don't    remem- 

33 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


her  me,  Lord  Jack — pardon  me,  my  lord- 
Lord  John." 

"Your  face  comes  back  to  me;  the  good 
lady  under  the  hill  below  Thrummock  Hall 
that  used  to  give  Archibald  and  me  elder 
berry  wine  and  seed  cakes." 

"Yes,  my  lord/' 

With  a  beaming  smile,  gratified  by  his 
recognition. 

"And  wasn't  there  a  sharp-eyed  little 
baby-imp  that" 

"Yes,  Lord  John;  you  always  called  her 
a  'baby-imp/  1  wanted  to  speak  with 
you  to-day  about  her,  my  lord;  Bianca. 
She's  eighteen  years  old  now  and  a  lovely 
girl." 

"Eighteen?  Is  it  possible?  Eighteen! 
My  curate,  Mr.  Lyell,  will " 

"Oh,  sir!  1 — I  shouldn't  like  to  speak 
to  him  about  Bianca.  You  see,  my  lord, 
Mr.  Lyell  and  Bianca"— 

"What?" 

"They — they  were  once  engaged  to  be 
married,  my  lord." 

"Urn — m.  What  can  I  do  in  the  mat 
ter?" 

34 


WHEN  MARRIAGE  IS  A  FARCE 

"It  isn't  about  that,  my  lord.  But  I've 
had  trouble  with  the  dear  girl  ever  since 
my  brother,  Captain  Tom" 

"The  old  sea-captain — is  he  still  living?" 

"He  died  about  a  year  ago." 

"Captain  Tom  brought  little  Bianca  home 
to  you  from  one  of  his  long  voyages." 

"He  picked  her  up  in  the  Mediterranean 
Ocean  off  the  coast  of  Greece/' 

"Y-e-s:  I  remember/' 

"That's  what  my  brother  Tom  told  all  of 
us,  Lord  John;  and  he  had  the  record  of 
her  baptism  in  his  own  name  for  want  of  any 
other  name  being  pinned  on  her  my  lord 
and  ever  since  he  brought  that  baby  home 
I've  been  that  worried  and  I  tried  so  hard 
to  give  the  girl  a  solid  English  education." 

Then  the  good,  motherly,  dear  old  British 
housewife,  having  thus  recalled  the  one  long 
worrying  anxiety  of  her  life,  rattles  on  in  a 
way  that  makes  punctuation  absolutely  im 
possible  in  real  life  or  on  the  printed  page. 

"  But  I  never  got  one  honest  English  idea 
into  her  head  about  morals  and  the  multi 
plication  table  and  religion  you  know  when 
Captain  Tom  used  to  come  home  from  sea 

35 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


he'd  only  laugh  at  me  and  he  and  little 
Bianca  would  go  off  on  long  walks  together 
and  after  that  the  girl  would  talk  about 
animals  and  skies  and  birds  and  the  new 
puppies  in  the  Duke's  kennels  the  time  1 
always  had  in  straightening  out  that  girl 
after  Captain  Tom  would  go  away  again 
and  he  spent  all  his  money  on  music  teachers 
and  Frenchmen  for  Bianca  and  books  and 
I  trying  to  make  the  girl  learn  the  Catechism 
and  the  Apostle's  Creed  and  the  Ten  Com 
mandments  by  heart  what  could  1  do?" 

The  inexperienced  Rector  has  been  lis 
tening  intently  and  conscientiously  to  the 
sweet  old  lady,  but  with  a  puzzled  ex 
pression  as  if  trying  to  solve  a  new  problem 
in  his  profession. 

"The  proper  education  of  little  Bianca 
as  an  English  girl  has  embarrassed  you/' 

"Yes  my  lord  and  brother  Tom  being  a 
sea-captain  he  swore  horribly  of  course 
and  Bianca  loved  him  so  I  never  could 
persuade  the  girl  swearing  wasn't  correct 
language  Lord  John — Mr.  Lyell!" 

"Mrs.   Dunn!" 

The  curate  has  returned  from  his  study. 

36 


WHEN  MARRIAGE  IS  A  FARCE 

At  the  same  moment  Nesbitt  re-appears 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  room  from  the 
upper  apartment;  a  pair  of  neatly  pressed 
black  trousers  lying  over  his  arm. 

"Really,  Lord  John — there  isn't  a  moment 
more  to  spare.  I  ought  to  have  your  proper 
suit  on  in  five  minutes,  and  I  hardly  dare  try 
the  new  one  as  it  is." 

"Your  valet  is  quite  right,  my  lord;  I 
will  speak  with  our  parishioner." 

"Thank  you.  Good  day,  Mrs.  Dunn. 
Coming,  Nesbitt." 

"Good  day,  my  lord." 

Lord  John  hurries  up  the  steps  and  the 
valet  follows  him  out  of  the  room.  The 
troubled  old  lady  is  evidently  somewhat 
nervous  as  she  looks  at  Mr.  Lyell,  left  alone 
with  him;  but  he  himself  has  the  calm, 
dignified,  unruffled  demeanor  that  never 
deserts  him. 

"What  is  it,  Mrs.  Dunn?     Bianca?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"You  may  be  as  frank  with  me  as  you 
would  have  been  with  the  Rector  himself. 
The  Earl  Catherst  returned  to  Thrummock 
Hall  this  morning  with  the  young  American 

37 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


woman  who  is  to  be  his  future  wife — and 
what  about  Bianca?  Is  she  well  to-day?" 

Again  the  rapid  tongue  of  Mrs.  Dunn  de 
fies  the  art  of  punctuation. 

"The  poor  girl  came  down  from  Thrum- 
mock  Hall  only  a  few  moments  after  they 
arrived  sir  she  dropped  upon  the  sofa  in  my 
cottage  and  she  seemed  that  miserable  poor 
dear  she  didn't  say  anything  only  pale  and 
nervous  and  silent  and  the  chimes  in  the 
church  pealing  so  merrily  all  the  time  it 
almost  broke  my  heart  sir  what  troubles  me 
most  just  after  his  lordship  the  Earl  went 
away  from  here  last  time  to  Paris  Tow  Path 
Bill  came  to  me  and  said  he'd  been  watching 
my  girl  and  I'd  better  keep  her  at  home  with 
me  at  night  tied  to  a  doorknob  those  were 
his  very  words  and  only  last  night  I  found 
Bianca  down  by  the  river." 

"The  river!" 

The  grave  curate  turns  away  from  her, 
walking  to  the  door;  he  looks  out  silently 
a  moment  at  the  broken  tombstones  and 
the  ivy-clad  church;  then  returns. 

"We  can  hear  a  low,  faint,  distant  sound 
of  the  current  from  our  door.  Well?" 

38 


WHEN  MARRIAGE  IS  A  FARCE 

"That  swift  and  dangerous  part  of  the 
river  just  above  the  mills  at  the  foot  of 
Thrummock  Hall  Park  the  rocks  are  wet 
there  sir  and  the  least  step  you  know  and 
Bianca  so  nervous  now!" 

"Tow  Path  Bill  was  watching  the  girl 
after  the  Earl  Catherst  left  for  Paris;  you 
say  he  warned  you?" 

A  young  man  in  the  early  thirties,  neatly 
groomed,  graceful  in  carriage  and  cheery 
in  manner,  appears  at  the  doorway  from 
the  garden  as  if  the  usual  formalities  of  a 
visitor's  announcement  were  unnecessary 
in  his  case.  He  looks  about  the  room  as  he 
comes  in  and  sees  Mr.  Lyell. 

"Ned,  old  boy!" 

".My  lord!" 

"  I'm  back  again." 

He  sj?ps  suddenly  as  he  comes  forward, 
recognizing  another  visitor. 

"And  I'm  glad  to  see  you,  Mrs.  Dunn." 

"  You're  very  kind  my  lord  thank  you  my 
lord  I  am  sure  we're  all  very  much  delighted 
to  have  you  return  to  Thrummock  Hall  my 
lord  thank  you  my  lord  good-bye  my  lord." 

The  simple  old  lady  has  punctuated  this 

39 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


last  speech,  not  by  checking  her  tongue  but 
by  a  series  of  motions,  each  bringing  her 
nearer  to  the  door  by  which  she  had  come  in, 
and  her  final  disappearance  serves  as  a 
full-stop  to  the  composite  sentence.  The 
Earl  Catherst  looks  after  her  with  an  amused 
smile,  then  turns  to  Mr.  Lyell. 

"I  fear  I've  interrupted  some  parochial 
solemnity.  You  look  serious,  Ned.  Where 
is  Jack  Vernor?  He's  a  parson  like  you  now; 
you've  got  him  in  harness  at  last." 

"  He  has  assumed  his  new  duties  as  Rector, 
your  lordship." 

"My  'lordship!'  What  are  you  giving  me, 
Ned?  When  did  I  become  'your  lordship/  to 
you — in  private?" 

"Mrs.  Dunn  has  been  speaking  to  me  of 
her  niece,  Bianca." 

"Oh! — and  of  me,  incidentally;  I  see. 
You  feel  a  bit  hard  towards  me,  Ned;  and 
you  have  a  perfect  right  to  feel  so.  I  did 
you  a  bad  turn;  but  not  intentionally,  old 
boy,  and  it'll  come  out  all  right.  When 
Bianca  Dunn  came  to  live  at  Thrummock 
Hall  as  my  mother's  companion  we — she 
and  I — drifted  together,  you  know.  /  saw 


40 


WHEN    MARRIAGE    IS    A    FARCE 

her  every  day,  and  you  didn't.  That's  all 
there  was  of  it.  We  wandered  in  the  park 
together;  her  pretty  head  full  of  wild 
thoughts,  every  animal  her  personal  friend 
and  the  birds  chatting  with  her;  at  least 
they  seemed  to.  I — I  did  give  her  a  volume 
of  Mrs.  Browning's  love  poems,  and  we  read 
them  side  by  side  under  an  old  oak  by 
the  river.  I  ought  not  to  have  done  it,  but 
it's  all  past  now.  She's  a  good  girl,  Ned, 
and  I — I  still  hope — honestly,  I  do"- 

"That  Bianca  and  I  shall  yet  be  married." 

Dropping  into  the  chair  at  the  desk; 
Edward  Lyell  looks  down  wearily  rather 
than  in  sorrow,  as  a  man  who  has  no  in 
tention,  now,  of  repeating  his  past  struggles. 

"You  take  things  too  seriously,  my  old 
friend;  and  we  mustn't  leave  off  this  way, 
Ned.  Did  you  ever  read  a  book — an  Amer 
ican  book — by  a  young  Californian — Jack 
London,  I  think  his  name  is — entitled 
The  Call  of  tie  mid?" 

"\  have  heard  of  it." 

"The  hero  is  a  dog;  a  highly  civilized  dog; 
but  like  all  the  rest  of  us  the  descendent  of 
savages.  They  took  him  to  the  boundless 


KATE:  A  COMEDY 


forests  of  Canada  and  he  heard  the  primeval 
howl  of  the  wolf.  It  was  the  voice  of  his 
own  savage  ancestors  inviting  him  back 
to  the  wilderness.  He  answered  the  call 
of  the  Wild  and  disappeared  forever.  I 
was  like  that  dog.  Bianca  Dunn's  voice 
is  soft  and  sweet,  but  it  is  the  Call  of  the 
Wild/' 

"\  understand  you." 

"Yes:  you,  too,  have  heard  it.  She  is 
a  remnant  of  savage  life;  of  brigandage  and 
revolution  in  the  mountains  of  Thessaly; 
and  we  are  both  tired  of  our  own  civilization. 
We  rebel  against  our  collars  and  our  annual 
bench-show,  the  London  season.  The  outer 
world  is  full  of  our  kind  of  Englishman- 
Arizona  and  Australia — they  are  the  most 
disreputable  of  the  desperadoes  and  the 
wilder  sort  of  cowboys.  One  of  my  own 
ancestors  was  tired  of  being  a  decent  man 
two  hundred  years  ago.  He  brought  home 
a  wife  from  among  those  same  brigands  of 
Thessaly.  You've  seen  the  picture  of  that 
Duchess  in  the  family  portrait  gallery  at 
Thrummock  Hall;  with  her  deep  eyes  and 
a  smile  so  weird  that  she  seems  to  be  laugh- 

42 


WHEN  MARRIAGE  IS  A  FARCE 

ing  at  her  own  descendants.  Whenever 
I  look  at  that  portrait  I  envy  the  old  brute 
that  made  her  his  wife.  I  have  his  blood 
and  hers  in  my  veins.  Bianca  Dunn  has 
her  face!" 

"The  picture  might  be  Bianca' s  own 
portrait." 

"Well,  Ned,  old  boy — I  tore  myself  away 
at  last  and  escaped — to  Paris.  The  Call  of 
the  Wild  became  fainter  and  fainter  and 
finally  it  died  away.  Bianca  met  me  this 
morning  only  as  a  sweet  and  pleasant 
friend.  To  be  perfectly  frank,  it  wasn't 
quite  agreeable  to  my  vanity,  but  the  inci 
dent  is  closed.  She  is  as  pure  a  girl  as  ever 
lived,  Ned:  and  I  hope  she'll  be  your  wife/' 

"  I  trust  the  incident  is  closed,  for  both  of 
you." 

The  chimes  of  the  church  strike  the 
second  quarter.  Edward  Lyell  rises  and 
walks  slowly  to  the  open  door  where  he 
turns  and  looks  back  at  his  friend. 

"Listen  to  me,  Archibald!" 

The  two  men  look  squarely  at  each  other, 
face  to  face. 

"I  am  going  now  to  kneel  at   the  altar 

43 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


of  our  church.  You  will  hear  the  Call  of 
the  Wild  again.  I  shall  pray  to  God  that 
you  may  not  answer  it." 

He  walks  slowly  across  the  garden  to 
wards  the  church  and  Archibald  stands 
motionless,  watching  him  until  he  dis 
appears  with  bowed  head  among  the  trees. 
The  young  patrician  looks  down  in  deep 
thought. 

"The  Call  of  the  Wild!" 

The  Rev.  Lord  John  Vernor  re-appears 
from  his  own  apartments  and  stops  sud 
denly  on  the  landing  behind  the  balustrade, 
staring  across  the  room.  He  is  now  in 
clerical  attire,  with  gold  spectacles. 

"Archibald!" 

"Jack!" 

There  is  a  moment's  pause,  the  two  re 
garding  each  other. 

"I   know  it's  a  shock  to  you." 

"Take  off  those  spectacles,  Jack,  or  I'll 
explode." 

Lord  John  removes  his  spectacles  gravely 
and  walks  down  the  steps.  He  inserts 
his  fingers  between  his  collar  and  his  neck. 
Archibald  bursts  into  laughter. 

44 


WHEN  MARRIAGE  IS  A  FARCE 

"Collar  a  trifle   tight?" 

"No;  but  it  chokes  me  all  the  same/' 

"A  parson  at  last! — instead  of  a  guards 
man!" 

"Don't  laugh  at  me,  old  man!" 

"All  right,  Jack;  I'll  keep  my  face  straight; 
there's  my  hand." 

The  two  friends  grasp  each  other's  hand 
heartily. 

"  But  hang  me  if  I  shall  be  able  to  do  it 
when  I  see  you  in  the  pulpit.  You  and  I 
haven't  met  for  nearly  a  year.  We  missed 
each  other  on  the  Continent  last  winter.  Tom 
Lyttleton  told  me  he  met  you  at  the  mas 
querade  ball  at  Nice,  in  February." 

"Cut  that!" 

"Curious,  too,  wasn't  it? — for  I  was  at 
that  very  ball,  in  a  box,  with  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hardenbeck — and  Kate." 

"Your  American  fiancee." 

"Yes;  you  shall  meet  her  to-day,  in  a 
few  moments  I  dare  say.  Dorothea  brought 
us  down  to  attend  your  service  this  morning. 
Dorry  says  you  are  very  impressive." 

"Please  don't  laugh,  old  fellow." 

"Certainly  not,  Jack.     You  were  in  dom- 

45 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


ino  and  mask  at  the  ball,  of  course;  so  was 
I;  natural  enough  we  shouldn't  meet/' 

"Never  mind  the  masquerade!  So  an 
other  heir  of  an  old  English  dukedom  has 
taken  a  republican  maiden  to  his  heart/' 

"Republican?  That's  the  only  point  on 
which  Kate  and  I  are  not  quite  congenial. 
I'm  a  bit  democratic,  you  know.  Kate  is 
the  very  latest  thought  of  civilization  in 
New  York,  and  highly  aristocratic.  She  is 
the  final  result  up-to-date  of  society  woman- 
culture.  I  left  her  in  the  churchyard  with 
Dorothea  looking  up  the  ^tombstones  in  her 
Baedeker.  That,  by  the  way,  is  the  form 
an  American  girl's  religion  seems  to  take; 
it's  a  cross  between  worshipping  dead  men 
in  a  graveyard  and  in  a  picture  gallery.  I've 
been  on  a  tour  with  Kate  and  her  parents. 
Wherever  we  go  she  is  a  devotee  of  the  high 
est  artistic  taste — to  say  nothing  of  Parisian 
costumes — and  of  one  sacred  volume,  Baed 
eker;  her  Bible,  her  Prayer  Book  and  her 
Hymnal!  But  a  New  York  girl  has  one 
great  virtue  as  a  wife,  Jack;  there's  nothing 
about  her  to  suggest  repentance  to  a  man." 

"That  will  be  a  great  comfort." 

46 


WHEN  MARRIAGE  IS  A  FARCE 

"Won't  it?  But  if  I  should  confess  my 
past  sins  to  her" — 

"Don't!" 

"  I  sha'n't.  She'd  look  up  the  letter  "  H  " 
in  Baedeker  and  arrange  a  nice  little  trip 
below  for  us.  That's  in  your  line  now,  by 
the  bye;  and  speaking  of  repentance,  I  just 
met  Lady  Sin  and  Betty  Arden.  They  were 
both  talking  to  me  at  once  and  they  tumbled 
over  each  other  trying  to  tell  me  about  you 
and  a  lace  handkerchief  and  a  girl  at  that 
bal  masque  in  Nice." 

"Dear  creatures!    Fannie  just  left  me." 

"  I  told  you  Kate  and  I  were  there,  with 
her  parents,  in  a  box." 

"As  I  requested  you  before,  please  cut 
that  bal  masque." 

"I  see  it  annoys  you;  and  I  sha'n't  refer 
to  it  again — only — oh! — I  must  tell  you  this." 

Here  Archibald  indulges  in  a  long  low 
laugh,  recalling  a  memory. 

"It  was  the  usual  thing,  you  know;  same 
with  all  those  French  masquerades;  but  you 
remember — at  a  signal  from  the  band  at 
midnight  'decorum  vanished  and  whatever 
was  left  of  eminent  respectability  disappeared 

47 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


from  the  Opera  House.  The  floor  suddenly 
became  a  pandemonium.  A  dozen  coteries 
sprang  into  life  by  magic;  skirts  flew  in  to  the 
air  and  every  silk  hat  within  reach  of  a  French 
dancing  girl's  toe  started  for  the  ceiling." 

"Need  we  continue  this  subject?" 

"By  no  means,  old  boy:  I  was  merely 
going  to  tell  you  a  little  incident;  nothing 
in  it.  But  Miss  Hardenbeck  was  on  the 
floor  when  the  uproar  began." 

"On  the  floor?" 

"With  her  father." 

"Oh!" 

"  I  had  told  them  half  an  hour  before 
that  it  was  time  for  our  party  to  leave  the 
Opera  House;  but  they  didn't  dream  of  what 
was  really  coming,  and  while  I  was  away 
from  the  box  for  a  moment  Kate  disap 
peared  with  the  old  gentleman.  They  were 
in  the  middle  of  the  crush  when  the  whirl 
wind  broke  loose.  Kate  re-appeared,  flushed, 
indignant  and  crumpled;  and  she  dragged 
us  all  out  of  the  building." 

"You  spent  some  time  among  the  Italian 
lakes,  I  believe;  calm,  serene  and  beautiful, 
aren't  they?" 

48 


WHEN  MARRIAGE  IS  A  FARCE 

"Tell  me  about  the  girl  at  the  masquerade; 
the  one  Lady  Sin  and  Betty  Arden — the  lace 
handkerchief — what  were  they  trying  to"- 

"Once  for  all,  old  man!— and  then  we'll 
drop  the  subject— I  did  make  a  fool  of  my 
self  that  night." 

"So  Betty  seemed  to  think." 

"And  for  a  long  time  afterwards." 

"Fannie   said   so." 

"Quite  right,  both  of  them;  and  there  is 
the  bit  of  fluff  nonsense  they  told  you  about." 

Taking  the  lace  handkerchief  from  his 
pocket;  he  holds  it  up  with  careless  indif 
ference. 

"  I'm  going  to  burn  it." 

The  handkerchief  attracts  Archibald's  at 
tention  and  he  approaches  nearer,  looking 
at  it  with  a  fixed  gaze. 

"  Lady  Betty  Arden  stole  it  from  my  rooms 
at  the  Albany  and  Lady  Sin  returned  it  to 
me  to-day.  I  have  already  acknowledged 
myself  a  fool,  and  that  is  the  last  frail  relic 
of  an  unworthy  life." 

Archibald  quietly  takes  the  handkerchief 
into  his  own  hands  and  he  is  looking  at  it 
with  interest  as  Lord  John  continues: — 

49 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


"It  shall  go  up  in  smoke." 

"A  monogram  in  the  corner." 

"  I  could  never  make  that  out;  can  you?" 

"It  isn't  very  clear." 

"It  was  a  silly  infatuation  on  my  part, 
old  man.  I  merely  looked  into  a  woman's 
eyes — and  she  into  mine.  Her  mask  had 
dropped  from  her  face  and  my  own  was  in 
my  hand.  We — we  looked  into  each  other's 
eyes." 

He  throws  unconscious  sentiment  into 
the  tones  of  his  voice  as  he  slowly  utters  the 
last  words  above,  and  he  looks  down  in  deep 
thought.  Archibald's  eyes  are  now  watch 
ing  him  steadily;  there  is  a  long  pause. 

"Go  on!" 

Lord  John  stands  motionless  and  silent: 
still  looking  down. 

"Jack!" 

He  does  not  hear;  the  silence  continues. 

"You've  quite  forgotten  the  incident, 
I  see." 

"Eh?" 

Lord  John  looks  up  as  if  from  a  dream. 

!<  You  and  the  girl  looked  into  each  other's 
eyes." 


WHEN    MARRIAGE    IS    A    FARCE 

"Oh! — drop  it  all ! — this  nonsense  is  over. " 

He  moves  to  the  old  desk  and  proceeds  to 
light  a  wax  candle,  in  an  ornamental  candle 
stick  on  a  tray. 

"I'm  going  to  burn  the  thing,  I  tell  you." 

''She  gave  you  this?" 

"It  merely  fell  to  the  floor  in  the  con 
fusion,  and  the  crush  separated  us.  You 
may  burn  it  yourself,  and  then  you  can 
swear  to  it  when  you  defend  my  reputation 
in  this  parish.  Those  chattering  magpies 
may  make  the  most  of  it.  When  I  blow  out 
this  poor,  weak  flame" — 

He  holds  up  the  lighted  candle. 

"All  the  frivolous  memories  of  my  past 
life  shall  go  with  it." 

Turns  to  Archibald;  but  he  stops  sud 
denly  as  he  sees  a  beautiful  woman  enter 
the  room  from  the  lawn. 

"Dorothea!" 

"John!" 

She  is  in  simple  but  rich  attire  with  hair 
brushed  smoothly  over  her  temples.  Lord 
John  stands  looking  at  her,  the  lighted 
candle  in  his  hand.  His  friend,  with  the 
graceful  alertness  of  a  man  of  the  world, 

5* 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


accustomed  to  social  emergencies  and  to 
explaining  the  unexplainable,  takes  a  cig 
arette  from  a  case  and  lights  it  at  the  candle. 

"Thank  you,  Jack." 

He  then  turns  toward  the  beautiful  new 
comer. 

"Where  did  you  leave  Kate,  Dorry?" 

"She  disappeared  among  the  trees  and  old 
tombstones  between  the  church  and  the 
river/' 

"Heaven  knowrs  where  she  and  Saint 
Baedeker  are  by  this  time;  Til  look  for  them. 
Kate  and  I  will  join  you  in  the  family  pew 
if  I  can  find  her." 

He  goes  out  quickly,  the  lace  handker 
chief  still  in  his  hand.  Lord  John,  having 
hurriedly  replaced  the  lighted  candle  on  the 
old  desk,  turns  to  Dorothea,  now  standing  at 
the  back  of  the  armchair  in  the  centre  of 
the  room. 

"We  have  come  down  to  attend  the  ser 
vice,  John.  My  aunt  and  Mrs.  Hardenbeck 
are  also  with  us." 

"  You  are  always  present  at  divine  service, 
Dorothea." 

"It  is  my  duty." 

52 


WHEN  MARRIAGE  IS  A  FARCE 

"Ah,  yes — I  know;  you  never  neglect 
your  duty." 

"I  trust  not,  John;  and  this  morning 
above  all  others  I  wish  to  unite  with  you  in 
worship.  This  afternoon,  you  know"- 

"This  afternoon?" 

"Surely"- 

"Of  course:  at  three-thirty." 

"Yes;  at  half-past  three.  We  are  to  an 
nounce  to  my  aunt  and  to  my  uncle  our 
wish  to  be  united  in  the  holy  bonds  of  wed 
lock.  It  is  well  for  us  to  pray  together  to 
day;  to  pray  that  we  may  meet  our  future 
duties  in  this  parish  in  a  manner  befitting 
the  deep  responsibilities  that  will  rest  upon 
us.  I  was  trying  to  recall  as  we  were  coming 
here  that  beautiful  passage  you  referred  to 
when  you  were  at  Thrummock  Hall  on 
Thursday  evening." 

"The  war-horse  smelleth  the  battle  afar 
off;  the"- 

"Not  that  passage;  it  was  the  one  about 
eternal  peace.  Ah,  John!  It  is  always  a 
delight  to  me  to  listen  to  you;  to  converse 
with  a  man  who  has  high  aspirations  and 
such  a  noble  character.  You  have  lived  in 

53 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


the  great  world,  vet  pure  and  unsullied 
among  men/' 

Lord  John  looks  troubled,  and  one  hand 
moves  upward  with  that  peculiar  tendency 
which  science  has  never  explained,  a  tend 
ency  apparently  universal  among  men  to 
scratch  some  part  of  the  head  when  their 
consciences  become  uncomfortable. 

«I_y_e-S— m-m." 

He  crosses  the  room  in  deep  thought, 
the  eyes  of  Miss  Catherst  following  him. 

"  I'm  afraid  we  don't  quite  understand 
each  other,  Dorothea." 

"  1  try  to  appreciate  you." 

"M-m." 

"And  I  have  always  looked  up  to  you 
as  to  a"— 

"Exactly;    I'm  not  in  that  direction." 

"What,  dear?" 

"My  intentions  are  all  right — now." 

"Of  course.  You  are  a  clergyman  of  the 
Church." 

"  I  am  trying  to  be  a  Christian,  also." 

"John!" 

The  chimes  strike  the  third  quarter,  the 
Rector  standing  with  bowed  head  and  the 

54 


WHEN  MARRIAGE  IS  A  FARCE 

sweet  young  woman  listening  reverentially. 
"It  is  the  hour  of  service,  John/' 
"Mr.  Lyell  shall  conduct  it  to-day.     I  am 
not  fit  to  do  so." 

"  I  see  how  it  is.  The  best  of  us  have 
moments  of  spiritual  depression  like  this. 
Mr.  Lyell  is  already  at  the  altar;  I  saw  him 
kneeling  there  and  a  ray  of  light  was  falling 
through  the  window  on  his  head.  I  paused 
to  look  at  him;  it  seemed  as  if  a  strong  angel 
of  the  Lord  were  kneeling  in  the  sanctuary. 
The  light  will  shine  again  for  you  also,  dear. 
You  will  be  at  Thrummock  Hall  this  after 
noon? — at  my  side,  to  announce  our  wishes 
to  the  Duchess  and  the  Duke." 
"At  three-thirty." 

"/  will  pray  for  us  both  to-day,  John." 
She  turns  with  calm,  benign  dignity  and 
walks  to  the  door,  out  upon  the  lawn  and 
away  among  the  trees  toward  the  church. 
The  Reverend  Lord  John  Vernor  stands  a 
moment  longer  in  thought,  then  crosses  the 
room  slowly  and  drops  upon  the  chair  before 
the  old  desk.  The  candle  is  still  burning, 
and  his  head  falls  upon  his  hand  as  he  looks 
at  the  flame. 

55 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


The  organ  of  the  church  is  heard — the 
voluntary  before  service. 

The  figure  of  a  young  woman,  exquisitely 
costumed  and  in  perfect  good  taste,  the  very 
latest  dream  of  a  Parisian  modiste,  comes 
from  thickly-matted  shrubbery  on  the  side 
of  the  little  churchyard  opposite  to  that  from 
which  the  other  lovely  woman  has  just  disap 
peared.  The  Parisian  Dream  floats  among 
the  old  gravestones  like  an  unusual  vision, 
yet  it  is  a  woman  of  solid  flesh  withal  and 
brilliant  in  the  colors  of  health.  She  pauses 
before  an  ancient  tomb  at  the  very  door 
of  the  Rectory  trying  to  decipher  the  in 
scription;  throws  open  a  volume  and  reads. 
The  tones  of  the  organ  almost  die  away,  as 
if  upward,  accompanying  the  first  unspoken 
prayers  of  worshippers  in  the  church,  and 
the  Rector  in  the  parsonage  arouses  him 
self.  He  extends  his  hand  and  raises  the 
lighted  candle;  looks  at  it  a  moment  in 
silence. 

"Memories!" 

He  blows  out  the  flame,  and  still  gazes  be 
fore  him,  as  if  the  memories  which  he  hoped 
to  extinguish  were  yet  smoking,  like  the  wick. 

56 


WHEN  MARRIAGE  IS  A  FARCE 

The  Parisian  Dream,  at  the  door,  is  still  in 
tent  on  her  book. 

Lord  John  rises  and  turns  to  go  up  the 
steps  to  his  apartment,  but  stops  abruptly 
as  he  sees  the  unexpected  figure  of  a  young 
girl  before  the  tomb.  She  looks  up  frankly 
and  steps  forward  in  the  doorway. 

"Pardon  the  intrusion,  but  this  is  the 
Reverend  Lord  John  Vernor." 

"My  curate,  Mr.  Lyell,  will  meet  you 
after  the  service." 

"They  showed  me  a  picture  of  you  this 
morning,  at  Thrummock  Hall." 

"At  Thrummock  Hall!  Is  this  Miss  Kath 
arine  Hardenbeck?" 

"Yes." 

They  bow  formally  to  each  other. 

"  I  was  just  reading  what  Baedeker  says 
about  the  beautiful  tomb  at  your  door.  The 
inscription  is  given  here  in  full,  though  I 
can  hardly  decipher  it  in  the  stone  itself." 

Then  she  reads  from  the  book  in  her  hand; 
gradually  advancing  as  she  does  so  into  the 
room. 

Here  lieth  the  first  Rector  of  Pengrue-Cath- 
erst.  This  noble  man  was  distinguished  alike 

57 


KATE:  A  COMEDY 


for  bis  piety,  the  holy  aspirations  of  his  spirit 
and  the  saint-like  purity  of  his  character. 

She  looks  up  from  the  book  into  his  face 
suddenly.  He  starts  and  leans  forward. 
They  gaze  steadily  into  each  other's  eyes, 
both  of  them  perfectly  still. 

"You  are  the  successor  of  that  saintly 
pastor!" 

Lord  John  draws  back,  turning  away 
from  her  and  tugging  at  his  clerical  collar 
as  if  it  were  suddenly  oppressing  him  again. 
Kate  tears  a  leaf  from  the  volume  and 
punches  holes  in  it  with  her  fingers.  Lord 
John  recovers  his  breath. 

"  I  do  not  presume  to  fill  that  good  man's 
place,  but  I  have  been  called  to  the  min 
istry  of — " 

"Called?" 

"  By  the  Marquis  of  Garth." 

The  clear  bright  notes  of  the  young 
woman's  laughter  ring  through  the  old 
rectory  and  Lord  John  turns  towards  her 
again.  She  holds  up  the  torn-out  page  of 
the  book  before  her  face  as  if  it  were  a  mask, 
staring  at  him  through  the  holes  and  moving 
backward  step  by  step  towards  the  door 
and  through  it. 

58 


WHEN  MARRIAGE  IS  A  FARCE 

The  Reverend  Lord  John  Vernor  puts 
both  hands  into  his  collar  and  breaks  it  open 
with  a  vigorous  tug,  dropping  into  the  arm 
chair;  the  ends  of  the  collar  standing  up 
on  both  sides  at  the  back  of  his  neck,  his 
legs  extended  and  his  hands  thrust  into  his 
trouser-pockets  viciously. 

The  musical  laughter  of  the  girl  is  still 
heard  from  among  the  trees,  mingling  with 
the  tones  of  the  organ,  which  come  back  to 
earth  and  swell  in  majestic  volume,  an 
nouncing  the  beginning  of  divine  service. 


59 


ACT  II 

LOVE  AND 
LEGAL  DOCUMENTS 


ACT  SECOND 

LOVE    AND    LEGAL    DOCUMENTS 

A  YOUNG  girl  in  riding  habit  with  crop 
in  hand  stands  upon  a  veranda  at 
the  opening  of  a  large  baywindow 
in  the  drawing  room  of  Throckmonck 
Hall,  overlooking  the  village  of  Pengrue- 
Catherst.  She  looks  off  dreamily  over  the 
lower  park,  which  drops  to  a  swiftly-flowing 
river  almost  at  her  feet,  and  over  softly 
cultivated  valleys  beyond  the  river  now 
lying  in  the  hazy  sunlight  of  a  Septem 
ber  afternoon.  TheChiltern  hills,  in  the  dis 
tance,  fade  imperceptibly  into  the  atmos 
phere  with  hardly  more  outline  than  the  air 
itself.  Such  scenes  are  the  day  dreams  of 
rural  England,  irresistible  in  their  charm  to 
every  American,  and  it  is  an  American  girl 
that  now  stands  looking  at  this  one  in 
Buckinghamshire.  The  little  village  below 

63 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


lies  close  to  the  river,  its  thatches  and  red 
tiles  visible  here  and  there  embowered  in 
trees,  and  the  old  Norman  tower  of  the 
church  rises  above  the  foliage  yet  still  be 
neath  the  veranda.  Huge,  almost  decrepit, 
slow-grinding  mills  also  lie  near  the  stream, 
the  waters  of  which  splash  angrily  as  they 
flow  by  the  Park,  but  seem  to  offer  their  re 
spectful  services  for  the  mill-wheels,  or  si 
lently  pass  by,  now  still  and  deep,  to  fall 
over  the  weir. 

Miss  Dorothea  Catherst  is  sitting  within  the 
drawing  room.  She  appears  still  more  beau 
tiful  perhaps  when  her  hat  is  laid  aside  show 
ing  all  of  the  hair  severely  smooth  over  a  clas 
sical  head.  Her  afternoon  costume  is  even 
more  simple  if  possible  and  more  rich  than 
her  morning  toilet;  it  is  that  greatest  tri 
umph  of  the  dressmaker's  art,  the  adequate 
expression  in  silk  or  satin  or  velvet  of 
religious  simplicity,  aristocratic  feeling  and 
humility.  Dorothea  is  embroidering  an  altar 
cloth.  The  whole  picture — herself,  the  altar 
cloth  and  the  tapestry-hung  room — is  in 
perfect  keeping  and  in  perfect  taste.  Even 
the  weather-stained  statues  on  the  balus- 

64 


LOVE  AND  LEGAL  DOCUMENTS 

trade  of  the  veranda  are  a  part  of  the  picture 
as  they  are  seen  through  the  great  bay- 
window  and  through  another  large  window 
opening  to  the  floor.  The  only  exotic  thing 
in  the  whole  scene,  without  or  within,  is 
the  trim  young  figure  of  the  New  York  girl; 
the  expectant  future  mistress  of  everything 
in  sight  except  the  distant  hills  and  the  sky. 
Miss  Catherst  has  touched  a  bell  on  the  table 
at  her  side  and  a  dignified,  but  in  no  way 
pompous,  family  servant  has  entered  to 
learn  her  wishes. 

"The  Reverend  Lord  John  Vernor  will  call 
this  afternoon,  Bailey,  at  half  past  three. 
You  may  tell  him  he  will  find  me  in  the  li 
brary  with  Lord  Ffolliett." 

"At  half  past  three;  yes,  miss." 

Bailey  retires  and  Miss  Catherst  resumes 
her  embroidery.  The  chimes  of  the  little 
church,  now  distant  and  as  soft  as  the  Sep 
tember  light,  are  heard  from  the  village 
below,  noting  the  passing  of  time  in  their  own 
persistent,  regular,  inevitable  way.  Kate 
Hardenbeck  looks  down  at  the  tower, 
listening,  then  turns  and  comes  into  the  room. 

"What  a  dear  old  church  it  is,  and  a  dear 

65 


KATE :  A  COMEDY 


old  village  to  match  it,  down  at  the  foot  of 
the  hill!" 

Miss  Catherst  does  not  raise  her  eyes  from 
her  embroidery  as  she  takes  up  the  theme. 

"The  chimes  seem  to  repeat  to  us  con 
stantly — 'nearer  to  the  next  world  — only 
a  few  minutes — but  nearer!'  This  is  the 
new  church/' 

"The  new  one!" 

"  Built  by  William  the  Conqueror  on  the 
site  of  the  old  Saxon  edifice." 

"Ah!" 

Kate's  exclamation  is  the  sudden  ex 
pression  of  an  enthusiasm  for  what  is  ancient 
and  historical  which  neither  her  companion 
nor  anyone  else  born  in  Europe  can  possibly 
feel;  the  enthusiasm  lights  up  her  face  bril 
liantly. 

"You  cannot  understand  the  feelings  of 
an  American  girl  in  my  position,  Miss  Cath 
erst.  These  magnificent  lands! — for  miles 
around  us — with  all  the  subdued  and 
gentle  and  slowly  fading  glory  of  the  past; 
and  I — but  never  mind  me,  Miss  Catherst; 
I  was  sorry  not  to  be  with  you  in  the  family 
pew  this  morning;  came  straight  back  to 

66 


LOVE  AND  LEGAL  DOCUMENTS 

the  Hall.  The  Reverend  Lord  John  Vernor 
did  not  conduct  the  services,  you  said." 

"A  cloud  of  self-distrust  had  settled  over 
our  good  pastor's  spirit." 

"M-m." 

"Even  the  saints,  I  imagine,  cannot  al 
ways  escape  that." 

"Not  even  such  a  saint  as  Lord  John  Ver 
nor.  It's  lucky  for  me  to-day  that  I'm  a 
saint.  Archibald  has  kept  me  waiting  fifteen 
minutes  for  our  ride.  But  I  just  saw  him 
coming  up  the  path.  He'll  be  here  in  a 
moment  now.  My  horse — poor,  darling  old 
Dick! — is  pawing  the  ground  and  neighing 
the  heart  out  of  him  at  the  door  of  the 
west  tower,  impatient  for  me  to  be  on  his 
back.  He's  becoming  quite  indignant  about 
it.  Dick  has  been  my  traveling  companion 
almost  since  he  was  a  colt.  By  the  bye, 
Miss  Catherst,  while  Dick  and  I  are  still 
waiting  for  Archibald  I  wish  to  ask  you 
something.  I  just  caught  sight  again  of 
that  strange  young  creature,  Bianca  Dunn. 
She  was  standing  on  another  part  of  the 
veranda,  looking  off  over  the  valley  with 
a  far-away,  dreamy  expression,  as  if  only 

67 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


the  distant  background  caught  her  eye — or 
something  far  beyond  that.  Tell  me  about 
her.  I  am  sure  there  is  a  tragedy  in  that 
girl's  life  somewhere;  or  there's  one  coming 
— I  [don't  know  which.  I  never  saw  a  sadder 
pair  of  eyes,  and  my  own  first  meeting  with 
her  this  morning  was  almost  a  shock  to  me. 
The  moment  I  took  the  girl's  hand  in  mine 
I  knew  that  she  was  a  quivering  bundle  of 


nerves." 


"Many  young  women  have  suffered  as 
Bianca  Dunn  has,  but  she  takes  it  hardly. 
It  is  no  secret  in  Pengrue-Catherst;  a  broken 
engagement." 

"Is  that  all?— her  first,  I  suppose." 

"Bianca  and  Mr.  Lyell  were  utterly  un- 
suited  to  each  other." 

"Mr.  Lyell?" 

"Our  curate.  In  my  own  opinion  the 
interests  of  the  parish  would  have  suffered 
greatly  if  their  marriage  had  come  about. 
Mr.  Lyell  is  a  man  of  superbly  balanced  char 
acter  and  high  Christian  dignity." 

"You  admire  him." 

"Very  much;  and  I  respect  him  greatly. 
As  to  Bianca  Dunn,  that  remarkable  young 

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LOVE  AND  LEGAL  DOCUMENTS 

girl  would  hardly  do  for  any  clergyman's 
wife.  Have  you  heard  her  use  profane  lan 
guage  yet?" 

"Swear?" 

"Oh!  —  no — not  on  her  own  account;  you 
misunderstand  me.  But  she  never  hesi 
tates  to  quote  the  exact  language  of  Captain 
Tom;  an  old  sailor  who  died  about  a  year 
ago.  Captain  Tom  brought  Bianca  to  Eng 
land  when  she  was  a  mere  infant;  picked 
her  up  in  the  Mediterranean." 

"Oh!" 

"He  said." 

"Exactly." 

"The  Duke  would  always  wink  when  he 
said  it,  and  call  him  an  old  'sea  dog'.  Cap 
tain  Tom  never  spoke  a  sentence  without  an 
oath  in  it;  and  Bianca  regards  everthing  he 
uttered  as  so  many  words  of  Holy  Writ.  I 
dare  say  you  wonder  how  such  a  strange 
young  woman  has  become  an  inmate  of 
Thrummock  Hall." 

"Yes;  I  do." 

"She  is  the  particular  pet  of  the  Duke  him 
self.  There  isn't  a  horse  in  his  stable  he 
thinks  so  much  of  as  he  does  of  Bianca,  and 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


tie  said  a  horrible  thing  the  other  day;  but  I 
dare  not  repeat  it.     It  would  shock  you/' 

"Shock?  We  American  girls  are  immune." 

"The  Duke  said  he  spent  many  a  happy 
hour  exchanging  oaths  with  Captain  Tom; 
and  to  hear  a  dear  old  friend  in  the  grave 
swearing  by  proxy  through  such  innocent 
lips  was  even  better  than  swearing  himself; 
he  doesn't  have  to,  apologize  for  it  to  us 
ladies." 

Kates  laughter  rings  out  suddenly,  but 
it  is  checked  by  a  glance. 

"Shocking,  my  dear  cousin-that-is-to-be 
— shocking,  Dorothea!  But  do  you  know, 
I  like  the  old  Duke  immensely.  1  could 
almost  learn  to  swear  myself — to  have  jolly 
times  with  him  after  I  become  his  daughter." 

Bailey  comes  in  again  at  the  door  open 
ing  from  the  main  hall. 

"  If  you  please,  Miss  Catherst,  the  Rev 
erend  Lord  John  Vernor's  valet — Mr.  Nes- 
bitt,  miss — he  has  called  with  a  message 
from  Mr.  Lyell  for  Lord  Jack" — 

Miss  Catherst  looks  at  him  suddenly  and 
sharply. 

"For  Lord  John.     I  told  Mr.  Nesbitt  he 

70 


LOVE  AND  LEGAL  DOCUMENTS 

wasn't  expected  until  half-past  three;  but 
he  thought  perhaps  you  might  let  him  know 
where  he  is  likely  to  find  Lord  John  at  once." 

"  Bring  Nesbitt  to  me,  Bailey.," 

"Yes,  miss/' 

Bailey  retires. 

"Something  important  in  parish  work,  I 
presume.  Perhaps  I  can  be  of  assistance  to 
Mr.  Lyell  or  to  the  Rector. 

The  valet  steps  into  the  room. 

"  I  am  expecting  Lord  John  here,  Nesbitt, 
in  a  few  moments  now.  What  is  Mr.  Lyell's 
message  for  him?" 

"Mrs.  Grouter  has  another  black  eye,  miss." 

"A  black  eye!" 

This  from  Kate,  startled;  suddenly  and 
with  strong  emphasis.  The  word  "another" 
in  Nesbitt's  announcement  explains  per 
haps  the  peaceful  serenity  with  which  Miss 
Catherst  receives  the  mere  repetition  of  news 
from  the  unfortunate  Mrs.  Grouter;  news,  as 
Peeler  Dimps  has  already  said,  which  the  vil 
lage  frequently  hears. 

"A  black  eye?" 

"Her  husband  has  just  returned  to  the 
bosom  of  his  family,  miss." 

7' 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


"Tow  Path  Bill  has  come  back  from 
prison?" 

"Yes,  Miss  Gathers!.  Mr.  Lyell  has  taken 
the  doctor  with  him  and  gone  to  comfort 
the  woman.  Lord  John,  I  believe,  expressed 
the  wish  to  comfort  Tow  Path  Bill." 

Miss  Hardenbeck  is  breathing  a  little  more 
quickly  than  usual. 

"Comfort  the  wretch?" 

"  Put  him  to  sleep,  miss." 

Miss  Catherst,  still  calm  but  somewhat 
confused,  rises  and  crosses  the  room. 

"  I  don't  know  what  you  mean,  Nesbitt; 
put  him  to  sleep?" 

Then  Kate:- 

"I  think  I  have  heard  that  expression 
before  and  it  does  not  always  apply  to  a 
mother  nursing  her  infant  son." 

"  I  quite  understand  that  it  is  Lord  John's 
duty  as  the  man's  pastor  to  meet  him  and 
try  to  reach  his  better  nature  if  possible." 

"Lord  John  has  a  very  good  reach,  Miss 
Catherst;  and  I  daresay  he  is  looking  for  Tow 
Path  Bill  now." 

There  is  a  suggestion  almost  of  brutality,  in 
the  American  girl  as  she  exclaims: — 

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"  I  hope  he  will  find  the  brute." 

"  I  was  hoping  he  wouldn't,  miss;  they  tell 
me  Bill  Grouter  is  the  most  dangerous  man 
and  the  wickedest  fighter  in  the  county." 

The  half-aroused  brutality  of  the  girl  gives 
place  to  a  more  tender  feeling  perhaps;  for 
she  starts  nervously  with  a  troubled  expres 
sion. 

"A  dangerous  man?" 

"However,  ladies,  you  mustn't  be  dis 
couraged.  It  took  the  Whitechapel  Tiger 
Cat  seven  rounds,  at  Oxford,  to  soothe  Lord 
John." 

"Can  you  understand  this  man,  Kate?" 

"Yes! — and  Nesbitt!  You  may  take  a 
message  from  me  to  the  Reverend  Lord  John 
Vernor.  Give  him  Miss  Hardenbeck's  com 
pliments;  the  service  of  Miss  Catherst,  I  dare 
say,  and  also  my  own  if  necessary,  will  be 
quite  at  his  disposal  until  he  can  get  a  trained 
nurse  from  London." 

"  I'll  tell  him,  miss,  the  moment  they  bring 
him  home." 

The  valet  disappears  and  Miss  Catherst 
turns  to  Kate. 

"What  did  you  mean?" 

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KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


"When  two  men  like  that  come  together 
to  talk  about  a  woman's  black  eye  it  won't 
be  a  prayer  meeting.  The  rector  of  this 
parish  isn't  that  kind  of  a  saint.  I  have 
looked  into  his  eyes  only  twice  in  my  life,  but 
I  know  him!" 

"You  have  met  Lord  John,  then?" 

"This  morning;  and  once  before  on  the 
continent." 

"Indeed!" 

Miss  Catherst  looks  down  a  moment;  then 
sinks  into  a  chair,  still  thoughtful. 

A  slight,  dark-haired  girl,  younger  than 
either  of  the  others,  with  the  natural  olive- 
tint  of  southern  Europe,  subdued  to  a  some 
what  paler  hue  by  the  softly  persuasive  air  of 
England,  comes  into  the  drawing  room  quiet 
ly  from  the  veranda  through  the  bay  win 
dow.  She  is  simply  dressed  and  has  an  al 
most  demure  manner  except  when  aroused; 
even  then  the  added  fire:  is  seen  in  the  flash 
of  her  dark  eyes  rather  than  indicated  by 
any  sudden  movement.  Her  quick  southern 
muscles  have  been  trained;  but  the  influence 
of  northern  surroundings  has  gone  no  further. 

"Bianca!" 

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LOVE  AND  LEGAL  DOCUMENTS 

"Miss  Hardenbeck!" 

"  Has  the  Duchess  driven  out,  Miss  Dunn?* 

"Yes,  Miss  Catherst." 

"  I  found  a  volume  of  poems  on  a  seat  in 
the  lower  park,  under  the  old  oak  near  the 
river;  it  is  on  the  table." 

"Oh!  thank  you;  I  thought  I  had  lost  it. 
I  went  back  to  look  for  it  and  it  was  gone- 
thank  you  so  much  for  finding  it,  Miss 
Catherst/' 

The  young  girl  speaks  eagerly  and  with  per 
fectly  natural  warmth,  without  thought 
apparently  of  concealing  her  feelings  in  any 
way,  and  moves  to  the  table.  She  picks  up 
a  volume,  looking  down  at  it  a  moment 
tenderly,  almost  affectionately;  then  throws 
it  open. 

"  I  noticed  that  they  are  love-poems,  Miss 
Dunn;  by  Elizabeth  Barrett  Browning.  You 
have  marked  some  of  them." 

"Yes; — this  one;  did  you  read  it?" 

She  kisses  the  volume;  and  without 
waiting  for  an  answer  she  reads,  in  tones 
made  deep  and  rich  beyond  her  years  by  the 
passionate  southern  feeling  that  accompan 
ies  the  thoughts  of  the  poet,  investing  the 

75 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


words  with  more  than  they  could  possibly 
mean  to  a  northern  reader. 

Love  me  with  thy  open  youth 

In  its  frank  surrender, 
With  the  vowing  of  thy  mouth, 

With  its  silence  tender. 
"  I  lent  you  a  volume  of  Herbert's  religious 
poems." 

Bianca  still  reads. 

Love  me  with  thy  voice,  that  turns 

Sudden  faint  above  me', 
Love  me  with  thy  blush,  that  burns 

When  I  murmur,  Love  me ! 
"I  should  be  sorry,  Miss  Dunn,  to  see  a 
blush  'that  burns'  on  so  young  a  face  as 
yours,  and  love  like  that  is  not  for  the  next 
world/' 

Bianca  answers  in  soft,  gentle  tones  and 
with  a  pleasant  smile. 

"Captain  Tom  was  discussing  that  very 
subject  one  day  with  the  Reverend  Dr. 
Willoughby,  and  he  told  him  if  he  couldn't 
love  the  woman,  in  Heaven,  that  he  loved  on 
earth,  and  in  exactly  the  same  way,  he'd 
rather  be  damned  and  go  to  Hell  with  her." 
Miss  Catherst  starts  to  her  feet  and  Kate 

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LOVE  AND  LEGAL  DOCUMENTS 

chokes  over  a  laugh  that  would  be  highly  dis 
respectful  if  it  were  not  sternly  repressed. 
Bianca,  apparently  quite  unconscious  of  hav 
ing  said  anything  in  particular,  concludes  her 
remarks  :— 
"Dear  old  Captain  Tom! — he  is  in  Heaven 


now." 


The  young  girl  brushes  tears  from  her  eyes 
quickly  and  returns  to  her  book;  while  Kate 
moves  to  Dorothea  and  speaks  in  a  quiet 
undertone:— 

"The  old  sea-captain  does  seem  to  live 
again  in  Bianca's  conversation,  doesn't  he?" 

"My  cousin,  Ffolliet,  is  waiting  for  me  in 
the  library  to  discuss  a  new  work  he  brought 
up  from  London  this  morning:  The  Rela 
tions  of  Man  to  the  Universe  in  Modern  The 
ology:' 

The  Honorable  Miss  Catherst  walks  out 
with  dignity  and  with  all  the  stately  beauty 
of  a  Grecian  goddess  converted  to  [Chris 
tianity,  through  a  large  opening  hung  with 
rich  portieres,  which  leads  to  other  apart 
ments  and  towards  the  library  of  Throck- 
monck  Hall. 

The  American  girl  turns  to  her  younger 

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KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


companion  and  watches  her  in  silence  a 
moment  as  she  stands  at  the  table,  still  read 
ing  the  volume  of  Mrs.  Browning's  love- 
poems.  It  is  a  strange  scene;  everything 
English  except  the  two  human  figures;  both 
of  them  as  utterly  un-English  as  possible  and 
utterly  unlike  each  other,  also,  in  race,  nativ 
ity,  training;  in  nearly  every  thought  and 
nearly  every  emotion. 

"Bianca!" 

The  girl  looks  up. 

"Will  you  let  me  be  your  friend?" 

"  Friend? — you? — and  I — friends ! " 

"Why  not?" 

"Of  course,  why  not?  We  haven't  done 
any  harm  to  each  other,  have  we?" 

"  Harm?     I  don't  know  what  you  mean." 

"Nobody  here  ever  does  know  what  I 
mean;  except  the  dear  old  Duke — about  the 
horses  and  the  puppies." 

Kate  drops  upon  an  ottoman. 

"Miss  Catherst  has  just  been  telling  me 
that  Captain  Tom  "- 

"  You  didn't  know  Captain  Tom.' 

A  bright  light  from  within  suddenly  il 
lumines  the  girl's  face;  she  drops  down  with 

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LOVE  AND  LEGAL  DOCUMENTS 

the  quick  agility  of  a  kitten,  seizes  a  hassock 
and  runs  to  Kate;  sits  at  her  knee. 

"My  Captain  Tom!  You  never  knew  him/' 

"  I  only  knew  he  found  an  egg  floating  in 
the  Mediterranean  Ocean  on  a  piece  of  sea 
weed  and"- 

Bianca  laughs. 

"And  Aunt  Jane  Dunn  hatched  me  out. 
The  darling  old  motherly  hen  has  been  cluck 
ing  the  life  out  of  her  ever  since,  and  now 
Miss  Catherst  is  clucking.  I  suppose  people 
understood  you  when  you  were  growing  up/' 

"  I  was  only  what  everybody  expected  me 
to  be;  a  commonplace  society  chicken  chiefly 
interested  in  my  own  feathers." 

"  Nobody  but  Captain  Tom  ever  knew  what 
sort  of  a  bird  I  was.  Whenever  he  came 
home  from  a  voyage  we'd  wander  about  with 
my  hand  in  his;  in  the  fields;  among  the  hills; 
and  we  talked  to  each  other  all  day  long." 

"Look  up  at  me,  child — straight  into  my 
eyes.  Thank  you,  dear.  It  is  almost  the 
same  face;  it  is  the  same  face.  Earl  Catherst 
took  me  through  the  family  portrait  gallery 
this  morning." 

"  I  know.     Everybody  says  that.     I  must 

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KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


look  like  her;  the  picture  of  the  wild  Duchess 
—that's  what  they  call  her— Archibald's— I 
mean  the  Earl's — great,  great — ever  so  many 
greats — grandmother." 

Then  the  girl's  face  moves  slightly  forward 
as  if  with  a  sudden  impulse  and  her  dark  eyes 
look  steadily  into  Kate's.  • 

"You  are  going  to  be  her  successor  as  the 
Duchess  of  Mannerton." 

"  If  the  Earl  and  I  live  long  enough  after 
we  are  married.  Well?" 

"Do  you  love  him?" 

"Do  I?"- 

"Or  are  you  only  going  to  marry  him?" 

"  I  must  look  you  up  in  my  Baedeker." 

"Your  father  and  the  Duke  are  talking 
about  the  marriage-settlements  to-day." 

"Yes;  with  their  attorneys." 

"Did  you  ever  watch  the  birds  in  their 
nests?  They  don't  have  any  marriage  settle 
ments  nor  attorneys.  But  they  love  each 
other  in  their  own  funny  little  way." 

"  I  begin  to  think  you've  wandered  out  of 
the  British  Museum;  there  are  a  lot  of  Greek 
girls  there,  in  marble." 

"  Here  at  Thrummock  Hall  they  imagine 

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LOVE  AND  LEGAL  DOCUMENTS 

that  marriage  is  made  up  by  papers  and  all 
that  sort  of  thing.  Every  real  girl  knows 
what  marriage  is;  it  is  love — love!" 

' '  Every  real  girl !     Love ! " 

Kate  Hardenbeck  looks  up  and  far  away, 
through  the  wall  of  the  room  in  which  the  two 
girls  sit,  and  who  can  tell  how  far  beyond? 

"Every  real  girl!  Upon  my  word,  dear, 
you  are  almost  compelling  me  to — to  think; 
and  that's  a  trifle  embarrassing  to  the  kind 
of  girl  I  am.  Most  of  us  young  women  in 
society  get  married  as  a  matter  of  course; 
and  it  strikes  one  as  odd  to — to  think  much 
about  it — except  the  trousseau  of  course. 
But  to-day — to-day! — I  have  been  thinking 
about  it — about  another  side  of  marriage. 
Go  on!  Marriage  is  love! — to  a  real  girl. 
Goon!" 

"They  call  women  wives  that  aren't  wives; 
and  other  women  that  are  wives — they  say 
they're  not.  Marriage  is  love — only  love — 
love!" 

"  I  seem  to  be  taking  a  lesson  from  you,  my 
child." 

"Our  fox-terrier — Aunt  Jane  Dunn's — she 
didn't  marry  the  other  fox-terrier  because  he 

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KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


had  a  pedigree,  and  I  don't  even  believe  he 
married  her  because  she  had  a  good  supply  of 
bones  in  her  kennel." 

Kate  laughs  with  good-natured  jollity; 
then  suddenly  looks  serious  again. 

"I  understand  what  you  mean.  It  does 
seem  as  if  a  female  human  being,  when  she 
marries,  ought  to  be  on  a  level  at  least  with 
the  lower  animals  of  her  own  sex;  and  it  is 
only  a  true  human  passion,  I  suppose,  that 
raises  a  woman  above  the  mere  brute — in — in 
marriage — which  is  love!  Above — the— 
brute!" 

She  looks  down  silently  awhile;  then  starts 
suddenly  with  an  exclamation. 

"What  is  it,  Miss  Hardenbeck?" 

"Nothing — wait  a  moment;  a  great  dark 
wave  of  disgust  for  myself  passed  over  me." 

After  a  few  seconds  more  she  holds  herself 
in  hand  again  and  speaks  quietly:— 

"We  women  in  America  and  England- 
some  of  us  at  least — marry  serenely  and 
coldly,  and  we  die  contentedly  without  know 
ing  that  such  a  thing  as  'passion'  exists — the 
passion  that  purifies  all  things — as  fire  does. 
You  women  of  Greece  and  Italy  feel  the  sun 

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like  grapes  on  the  vine,  and  you  hold  its 
warmth  in  your  souls  as  well  as  in  your 
bodies;  that — that  is  to  be  something  more 
than  a  female  animal — how  often  we  women 
are  less!" 

"  I  wish  /  were  some  nice  little  animal, 
without  any  such  troublesome  thing  as  a  soul 
— I  wish  1  were  dead/' 

Bianca  drops  her  head  into  Kate's  lap, 
bursting  into  tears. 

"My  pet!" 

"  If  Captain  Tom  were  back,  he'd  say  damn 
something  or  somebody  and  I  should  be 
happy  again!" 

"Won't  you  let  me  help  you  to  be  happy?" 

"You— help  me?" 

"Miss  Catherst  has  told  me  of  the  great 
disappointment  in  your  life,  my  poor  girl.  It 
may  have  been  only  a  misunderstanding  and 
no  love-tragedy  need  come  of  it.  Mr.  Lyell 
may  love  you  as  much  as  ever,  my  little 
dear." 

Bianca  straightens  back  looking  full  at 
Kate;  then  turns  away  from  her. 

"Perhaps." 

The  Earl  Catherst,  in  riding  costume,  walks 

83 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


in  from  the  veranda  at  the  long  French 
window;  he  stops  as  he  sees  Bianca  and 
Kate.  The  latter:— 

"Archibald!  I  was  waiting  for  you.  1 
saw  you  coming  up  the  hill." 

Bianca  rises  to  her  feet ;  hesitates  a  moment ; 
then,  in  a  low  voice,  dropping  her  head  :— 

"My  lord!" 

"Bianca!" 

She  moves  to  the  table,  picks  up  the  vol 
ume  of  poems  and  crosses  the  room,  going 
out  to  the  further  apartment.  The  young 
man  watches  the  girl  until  she  disappears. 

"  I  must  apologize  to  you,  Kate;  I  can't 
ride  with  you  this  afternoon.  Our  respective 
fathers,  you  know,  are  discussing  the  details 
of  our  marriage-settlements;  and  the  Duke 
has  just  sent  word  that  he  may  wish  to  see 
me  at  any  moment." 

"My  groom  will  go  with  me;  and  Dick 
himself  is  always  good  company." 

"Your  horse? — I  dare  say  he'll  be  quite  as 
good  company  as  I  to-day." 

"We're  neither  of  us  very  joyful  appar 
ently." 

"On  'this  auspicious  occasion,'  as  they  say 

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LOVE  AND  LEGAL  DOCUMENTS 

at  a  wedding-breakfast.  Do  you  know,  I 
imagine  our  governors  aren't  getting  along 
as  auspiciously  as  they  might.  The  servant 
looked  anxious;  said  the  Duke  was  swearing 
violently  when  he  left  the  room — and  the 
American  gentleman  seemed  to  be  waiting 
for  Ms  turn." 

"These  business  matters  are  sometimes 
very  irritating;  and  this  marriage  of  ours  is — 
business — of  course." 

"Business?" 

"No;  we'll  call  it  art,  dear;  a  comedy. 
Does  it  still  interest  you?" 

"Is  it  beginning  to  bore  you,  Kate?  I'm 
afraid  I'm  not  playing  my  own  part  in  the 
comedy  well." 

"Oh,  yes! — Archibald!  I  should  be  very 
ungrateful  if  I  criticized  you  as  an  amateur 
actor.  Our  'love  making '  in  Paris  was  charm 
ing.  It  didn't  quite  reach  the  human  level 
of  course,  but" 

"The  human  level?" 

"I  think,  dear,  we  have  understood  each 
other  from  the  first; — we  are  sufficiently  in 
different  to  live  peaceably  together  as  man 
and  wife,  so  called,  and  our  parents  are  ar- 

85 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


ranging  the  business  side  of  it  upstairs.  But 
I  have  just  been  taking  a  lesson — from  a  real 
woman — that  really  loves.  Her  love  is  hope 
less  apparently;  but  I  envy  her — because  she 
is  capable  of  loving." 

"  Bianca." 

"Yes.  She  has  made  me  think — for  the 
first  time  in  my  life,  on  that  subject.  Bianca 
has  a  great,  throbbing  woman's  heart,  and 
she  loves  with  all  her  soul !  I  envy  her  even 
the  misery  of  such  a  love.  The  man  who 
has  gained  it  is  a  fool." 

"  If  he  throws  it  away.  You  think  she 
loves  him  so  deeply,  then?" 

"  I  saw  it  in  her  eyes;  and  her  very  hands 
crushed  my  fingers  when  the  word  'love'  was 
on  her  lips.  It  was  a  call  to  her  lover;  it 
seems  as  if  he  must  hear  it." 

Archibald  walks  quietly  across  the  room 
to  where  Bianca  went  out  and  stands  looking 
after  her. 

"The  Call  of  the  Wild!" 

He  turns  to  Kate:— 

"You  think  then  that  the  man  who 
throws  away  such  a  love  as  hers  is  a  fool." 

"  I  have  been  looking  into  a  true  woman's 

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LOVE  AND  LEGAL  DOCUMENTS 

heart,  and  I  shrink  from  her  myself  with 
shame." 

"Shame!" 

"I  feel  degraded." 

"By  what,  pray?" 

"By  our  being  mated — like  two  beasts!— 
and  that's  all  we  are,  1  suppose — not  married !" 

She  rises  to  her  full  height  as  she  says  this 
and  faces  him  with  flashing  eyes;  awaiting 
calmly  and  firmly  his  reception  of  the  protest; 
a  woman's  instinctive  protest  against  herself 
and  the  social  conditions  to  which  she  has 
been  trained. 

"Upon  my  soul,  Kate" — 

"Your  soul! — don't  flatter  yourself — I 
don't." 

She  turns  away  with  a  laugh;  slightly 
metallic  perhaps,  but  brilliant,  full  of  gayety 
and  musical.  We  often  hear  such  laughter 
from  women  in  the  drawing  room;  it  goes 
with  the  furniture  and  the  curtains  and  the 
bric-a-brac,  and  with  a  grand  piano,  inlaid 
and  hand-painted. 

"We  won't  talk  about  'souls/  my  dear!  I 
have  just  discovered  the  animal  in  myself; 
healthy  and  well  developed;  rather  a  fine 

87 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


animal,  on  the  whole — and  so  are  you,  Archie 
—I  admire  you,  honestly." 

"You  are  a  splendid  animal,  Kate! — and 
you  never  looked  so  magnificent  as  you  do  at 
this  moment." 

"With  my  head  up  and  my  nostrils  dis 
tended." 

Earl  Catherst  watches  the  woman  he  is  en 
gaged  to  marry,  beautiful  and  almost  queenly 
in  her  defiance  of  him,  with  the  admiration  of 
a  man  of  the  world;  and  with  a  certain  quick 
ening  of  the  breath  hardly  defined.  Two 
fine  young  animals,  indeed,  now  face  each 
other,  and  the  lower  part  of  the  girl's  nature 
begins  to  re-assert  the  authority  conferred  by 
society  in  her  education  and  training;  an 
authority  shared  by  her  intellect  but  not  by 
her  heart.  Into  her  eyes,  also,  still  fixed  on 
his,  something  now  comes  responsive  to  his 
admiration. 

"  I  will  sign  the  papers  which  will  make  me 
a  Duchess,  Archibald;  but  not  for  the  title- 
not  for  the  world! — if  you  were  not  also  a 
splendid  young  brute  like  myself." 

"  I  am  in  love  with  you,  Kate!" 

He  springs  to  her  with  outstretched  arms. 


LOVE  AND  LEGAL  DOCUMENTS 

There  is  a  slight  struggle,  but  he  holds  her 
firmly,  looking  into  her  eyes,  which  meet  his 
own  with  a  kindred  flash;  their  nostrils  dilate 
slightly,  but  with  well-bred  delicacy.  He 
hardly  speaks  his  eager  wish;  it  is  only  half- 
whispered,  scarcely  more  than  a  rapid  breath; 
but  she  understands  him,  and  coquetry,  as 
it  usually  does,  comes  to  her  aid;  it  is  every 
girl's  "first  aid"  in  the  battle  of  the  sexes. 

"  I  will  kiss  you,  Archie,  when  I  am  com 
pelled  to  do  so  by  law/' 

She  runs  by  him,  with  the  graceful  spring 
of  a  young  mare  loose  in  the  field;  laughter 
instead  of  a  neigh. 

"And  I  dare  say  when  I  am  your  wife  I 
shall  enjoy  it." 

She  stops  suddenly  and  a  look  of  horror 
comes  into  her  face. 

"Without  love!" 

Then,  under  her  breath:— 

"Perhaps  1  am  low  enough  in  the  scale  of 
animal  life  even  for  that." 

She  covers  her  face  with  her  hands. 

"  Even  so  low  a  female  thing  as  that !  Mar 
riage!  What  blasphemy!" 

He  does  not  hear  her  half-muttered  words, 

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KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


but  disgust  such  as  Kate  now  feels  can  sel 
dom  conceal  itself  even  among  the  very  best 
bred  men  and  women.  A  hard,  cold  look 
takes  its  natural  and  proper  place  in  the 
countenance  of  the  man. 

"A  pair  of  mated  brutes  let  it  be;  but  be 
fore  we  sign  the  paper  to-day  I  will  ask  you 
to  answer  me  one  question." 

She  raises  her  head  and  looks  at  him.  He 
takes  the  lace  handkerchief  from  his  pocket 
and  holds  it  before  her. 

"A  trifle  which  I  gave  you  as  a  present — in 
Paris/' 

Kate  receives  the  handkerchief. 

"Your  question." 

"How  do  you  regard  the  Reverend  Lord 
John  Vernor?" 

"  Before  we  sign  the  contract." 

"Yes." 

"When  I  wear  your  title,  Earl  Catherst,  I 
shall  not  regard  the  Reverend  Lord  John 
Vernor  at  all." 

He  looks  at  her  a  moment,  again  drawn  to 
her  full  height  and  regarding  him  steadily  with 
eyes  to  which  the  human  soul  has  returned. 

"I  will  trust  you,  Kate." 

90 


LOVE  AND  LEGAL  DOCUMENTS 


"You  can  trust  me;  and  you  must  trust 


me." 


The  servant  announces: — 

"  Lady  Sinjon-Glyn." 

"Kate,  my  darling!" 

"Fannie!" 

The  two  women  meet,  embrace  and  kiss 
each  other  with  as  much  ardor  as  if  they  had 
met  yesterday  for  the  first  time  instead  of 
being  old  friends. 

"  I  didn't  come  to  see  you,  Archie." 

"By-bye,  Toots!" 

He  strolls  out  through  the  bay  window 
lighting  a  cigarette. 

"We  haven't  seen  each  other  for  ages,  Kate 
—since  winter  before  last  in  New  York. 
But  you're  going  to  ride;  I  shan't  keep  you 
long;  dropped  in  to  congratulate  you  on 
marrying  Bunkie." 

"Bunkie?" 

"Archibald  Montclare  de  Vere  Pengrue, 
Earl  Catherst,  heir  to  the  Dukedom  of  Man- 
nerton.  He's  a  dear  good  fellow  and  I  hope 
you'll  pass  him  back  to  the  rest  of  us  women 
as  soon  as  possible;  we  shall  miss  him.  When 
will  vou  be  married?" 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


"Next  June;  as  now  arranged/' 

"In  New  York?" 

"Of  course." 

"  I  shall  go  over  to  the  wedding." 

"And  you  shall  drive  straight  from  the 
steamer  to  our  house,  Fannie." 

"Thank  you,  dear — as  I  always  have  done, 
when  the  darling  old  Admiral  has  left  me  in 
New  York  on  one  of  his  cruises.  I  also 
dropped  in  to-day  to  see  your  brother-in- 
law-that-is-to-be,  Captain  Lord  Ffolliet  Pen- 
grue,  of  the  Fourth  Hussars,  Queen's  Own. 
He  came  down  from  London  with  your  party 
this  morning,  I  understood." 

"  Yes.  The  Captain  is  with  Miss  Catherst 
now  in  the  library." 

"Whenever  Ffolliet  comes  down  from  Lon 
don  we  do  a  great  deal  of  work  together, 
for  the  parish;  widows  and  orphans  and 
things  like  that,  you  know.  I  suppose  he  and 
Miss  Catherst  are  discussing  theology  in  the 
library;  but  I  shall  take  him  away  from  her, 
on  a  tramp  through  Deptwold  Forest — three 
new  babies  and  two  old  widows  on  the  other 
side  of  it.  It  will  be  quite  dark  when  we  re 
turn  through  the  woods,  and  a  wall  or  two  to 

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LOVE  AND  LEGAL  DOCUMENTS 

climb  and  brooks  with  stepping  stones;  the 
Captain  can  assist  me,  you  know.  What  do 
you  think  of  Lord  Ffolliet?  Do  you  like 
him?  My  poor  dear  husband  is  very  weak 
now  and  Ffolliet  sits  by  his  bedside  for 
hours  together.  He's  the  greatest  curiosity 
in  London;  a  captain  of  Hussars  and  a  de 
voted  Christian.  Of  course  all  of  our  Eng 
lish  officers  are  Christians  officially;  but 
Ffolliet  is  just  as  good  a  Christian  out  of  his 
uniform  as  the  others  are  in  it  on  Sunday; 
he  practices  religion,  you  know,  and  he  talks 
about  it  with  as  little  hesitation  as  if  he  were 
a  tradesman.  He  is  a  missionary,  my  dear, 
in  the  darkest  purlieus  of  the  West  End 
drawing-rooms.  Ffolliet  is  perfectly  safe 
in  a  dimly  lighted  conservatory  where  other 
men  go  in  pairs  like  policemen  in  White- 
chapel — to  avoid  the  divorce  courts." 

The  above  remarks,  continuous  but  flow 
ing  pleasantly  with  the  musical  cadence  of 
spring  water  in  haste;  illuminated  also  by  the 
sweetest  of  smiles,  projecting  flashes  so  to 
speak  of  colored  electric  light  on  the  spray; 
has  been  accompanied  by  the  usual  panto 
mime  of  society.  Miss  Hardenbeck,  too 

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KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


polite  to  interrupt,  with  no  wish  to  do  so,  in 
deed,  has  waved  her  hand  towards  a  small 
sofa  and  the  two  ladies  are  now  sitting  on 
opposite  sides  of  the  table. 

"Oh,  by  the  bye — have  you  met  our  dear, 
sweet  pastor  yet — the  Reverend  Jack?" 

"I  have  met  the  Reverend  Lord  John 
Vernor  once — or  twice." 

"There's  another  curiosity  for  you.  Jack 
Vernor  and  Ffol  ought  to  change  places. 
Jack  was  just  as  anxious  to  get  into  the  army 
as  Ffol  is  to  get  out  of  it.  And  as  to  Lord 
John  Vernor's  life — before  he  lost  his  fortune 
and  took  holy  orders — well,  my  dear! — it's 
almost  as  much  a  scandal  to  the  church  as 
Ffolliet's  piety  is  to  the  army.  Why! — the 
very  last  thing  before  Lord  Jack" — 

Lady  St.  John-Glyn  interrupts  herself  at 
last  by  long,  sweet,  infectious  laughter,  in 
which  Kate  is  almost  compelled  to  join  with 
out  knowing  anything  of  the  matter. 

"It  was  about  a  girl  in  Nice;  at  the  bal 
masque." 

Kate  leans  forward  suddenly,  her  elbows 
on  the  table,  staring  at  her  visitor,  who 
pauses  and  looks  at  her  enquiringly. 

94 


LOVE  AND  LEGAL  DOCUMENTS 

"Eh?" 

Kate  is  suddenly  calm  again. 

"Don't  let  me  interrupt  you;  the — the  bal 
masque  in — in  Nice;  it  seems  interesting." 

"Last  February;  Mardi  Gras" 

"A— a  girl." 

"We  four  women,  you  know — Lady  Betty 
Arden  and  Mallory  Marshbanks — you  met 
'em  both  at  my  house  in  London;  and  the 
Countess — little  Pussy  Hawksbury;  she  was 
in  New  York  when  I  was  visiting  you  last 
time;  we  four  women  weren't  in  it  after  Jack 
met  that  girl.  We  were  all  lunching  with 
him  just  after  his  return  to  London  at  his 
chambers  in  the  Albany.  We  could  always 
trust  Jack  with  four  of  us  at  a  time;  watched 
each  other  in  couples,  you  know.  We  got  to 
rummaging  through  his  place  that  day  like 
so  many  magpies;  he  couldn't  stop  us." 

Another  interruption  of  subdued  laughter, 
but  Kate  shows  no  tendency  to  join  in  it  this 
time;  it  has  ceased  to  be  infectious  to  her. 

"And  Betty  found  a  lovely  lace  handker 
chief." 

Kate  is  suddenly  conscious  apparently 
that  her  own  cheek  is  resting  on  a  handker- 

95 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


chief  in  her  hand.  She  quietly  drops  that 
hand  to  her  side  below  the  edge  of  the  table. 

"Well?— what  then?" 

"Jack's  life  wasn't  worth  living  after  that 
until  he  confessed  the  whole  truth  to  us,  and 
he  confessed  a  great  deal  more  than  the  truth. 
No  one  woman  ever  had  so  much  in  her  face 
as  he  confessed  that  woman  had.  It  was  a 
panorama  of  all  the  female  virtues.  Would 
you  believe  it? — Jack  only  looked  into  the 
girl's  eyes  once  and  he  was  in  love  with  her." 

"In  love  with  her." 

"Dead." 

Kate  Hardenbeck  stares  a  few  seconds 
longer;  then  turns  away — and  none  too  quick 
ly;  for  a  great,  irresistible  delight  wells  up 
from  somewhere  below  the  throat  into  her 
face;  she  has  turned  away  just  in  time. 

"He  was  in  love  with  the  girl,  you  say." 

"Desperately;  and  it  wasn't  so  much  her 
looks  either.  Jack  kept  talking  about  her 
soul." 

The  delight  in  Kate's  face  disappears  and 
a  dull,  gray  feeling,  almost  of  pain,  seems  to 
take  its  place;  her  voice  comes  almost  in  a 
whisper: — 

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LOVE  AND  LEGAL  DOCUMENTS 

"  He  assumed  that  she  had  one." 

"S-o-u-L;  that  kind;  we  spelled  it  out  for 
him.  He  raved  about  that  part  of  her  for  a 
month.  Jack  said  he  looked  into  her  eyes 
and  through  them." 

"Through— her  eyes!" 

The  distant  chimes  strike  the  second 
quarter.  Lady  St.  John-Glyn  looks  at  her 
watch. 

"Half-past  three;  I  must  look  up  Ffol  in 
the  library." 

"Through  her  eyes  to  her  soul!" 

"Eh?  Oh!— that  girl  and  Jack;  her  soul 
was  away  back  inside  of  her  somewhere.  As 
for  us  four  women,  so  far  as  Lord  Jack  ever 
discovered  apparently,  there  isn't  a  soul 
in  the  bunch  of  us.  We  might  as  well  be  so 
many  guinea  pigs." 

"So  might  she! — 1  dare  say.  But  perhaps 
it  suddenly  occurred  to  her,  one  day,  that 
even  a  woman  like  her  might  be  something 
more  than  an  animal." 

"Whatever  she  was,  Jack  was  awfully  in 
love  with  it;  and  between  you  and  me  I  be 
lieve  he  is  yet.  I  was  talking  about  her  to 
him  only  this  morning;  took  him  back  the 

97 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


handkerchief,  with  Lady  Betty  Arden's  com 
pliments." 

Kate  looks  down  at  the  handkerchief  in  her 
hand;  her  back  half  turned  toward  her  com 
panion. 

"He  tried  to  look  indifferent  and  he  said 
he'd  destroy  it.  But  I  know  Jack  too  well. 
His  face  turned  crimson  and  then  white." 

Kate  brings  the  handkerchief  to  her  lips, 
pressing  it  against  them,  as  she  still  listens. 

"Jack  was  hard  hit  at  Nice,  and  he  loves 
that  girl  to-day." 

Then  a  ring  of  merrier  laughter  than  be 
fore. 

"  If  the  bal  masque  fairy  should  turn  up  in 
Pengrue-Catherst  and  find  him  a  clergyman, 
she'd  dance  a  cancan  down  the  centre  aisle 
and  kick  off  all  the  vestrymen's  hats." 

Kate  springs  to  her  feet  and  walks  to  the 
bay  window,  where  she  stops  and  looks  down 
at  the  tower  of  the  church. 

"  I  wonder  what  Jack  would  say  about  the 
girl's  soul,  then,  Kate." 

"  He  only  fell  in  love  with  what  he  imagined 
the  woman  to  be." 

"Of  course,  my  dear;  and  it's  lucky  for  all 

98 


LOVE  AND  LEGAL  DOCUMENTS 

of  us  women  that  men  have  such  vivid  imag 
inations." 

Duly  announced  by  Bailey,  the  Reverend 
Lord  John  Vernor  enters  the  drawing-room; 
stops  near  the  door  as  if  not  expecting  to 
meet  the  ladies;  then  greets  them  quietly  and 
formally. 

"Jack!  I'm  going  to  the  library  to  find  Ffol- 
liet — to  help  me  in  your  parish.  He's  with 
Dorothea." 

"Will  you  kindly  tell  Miss  Catherst  that  I 
will  join  her  there  in  a  few  moments?" 

"Certainly." 

"I  have  an  appointment  with  her  at  this 
hour." 

"I'll  soon  have  Ffol  away.  Good-bye, 
Kate!" 

"Good-bye,  Fannie!" 

"  Betty  and  I  saw  Mr.  Scobbun  Ancott,  the 
Duke's  solicitor,  and  your  own  friend,  Mr. 
Tenbroeck — I  remember  him  so  well  in  New 
York — he  was  a  charming  man;  we  saw  the 
two  lawyers  driving  to  the  Hall  together.  Of 
course  we  all  know  what  that  means." 

"Yes;  they  are  drawing  up  the  marriage- 
settlements;  with  my  father  and  the  Duke." 

99 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


"I  hope  you  and  Archibald  will  be  the 
happiest  couple  in  the  world." 

The  two  young  women  kiss  each  other 
again  and  Lady  St.  John-Glyn  walks  out  to 
wards  the  library,  as  demure  and  simple  as  a 
dove  and  looking  as  harmless. 

The  drawing-room  of  Throckmonck  Hall 
is  profoundly  silent.  It  could  not  be  more 
silent  if  it  were  empty,  though  a  man  and 
woman  stand  on  opposite  sides  of  it.  They 
are  both  looking  down;  otherwise,  perhaps 
the  man  could  see  what  he  cannot  hear — the 
rise  and  fall  of  the  woman's  bosom  under  her 
closely-fitting  riding  habit.  The  silence  is 
becoming  a  little  awkward,  and  he  breaks 
it. 

"Permit  me,  Miss  Hardenbeck,  to — to  add 
my  own  congratulations  to  those  of  Lady 
Sinjon-Glyn — on — on  your  approaching  mar 
riage  to — to  my  best  and  dearest  friend." 

"Thank  you." 

"I  neglected  to  congratulate  you  this 
morning;  but  our  meeting  then  was  extreme 
ly  brief." 

"Very." 

Lord  John's  heroic  effort  to  break  the  sil- 


100 


LOVE  AND  LEGAL  DOCUMENTS 

ence  has  proved  ineffectual,  but  his  new  pro 
fession  comes  to  his  aid. 

"Do  you  expect  to  reside  in  Thrummock 
Hall  after  your — your  marriage?" 

"When  we  return  from  our  wedding  in 
New  York." 

"You  will  both  be  members  of  my  own 
parish." 

"Yes." 

When  hypocrisy,  even  the  most  harmless, 
is  once  assumed  as  a  disguise  there  is  no  defi 
nite  limit  to  it;  Lord  John  actually  puts  the 
tips  of  his  fingers  together  before  him  and 
concludes  as  follows:— 

"  Members  of — of  my  flock." 

"  I  shall  listen  to  your  teachings  and  accept 
your  ministrations  with  reverence." 

"Reverence?" 

This  word  pierces  Lord  John's  thin  dis 
guise  like  an  unexpected  shot  though  spoken 
by  Kate  in  almost  religious  seriousness.  He 
looks  around  at  her  sharply,  but  her  eyes  are 
still  upon  the  floor.  He  turns  away  from  her 
and  tugs  at  his  collar. 

"With  deep  reverence,  my  pastor." 

"  I'm  afraid  our  first  meeting  was  hardly  of 

101 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


such  a  nature  or  in  such  a  place  as  to  inspire 
in  you — a — feeling  which  can  be  described 
accurately  by  the  word  'reverence/  " 

"  You  will  hereafter  be  my  spiritual  guide. 
I  remember  our  first  meeting  to  which  you 
have  referred." 

"  It  is  a  part  of  my  own  life  which  I  am  try 
ing  to  forget." 

She  looks  up  quickly  and  their  eyes  meet. 

"To  forget?  I  suppose  we  shall  both 
forget  it  in  time,  with  many  other  things  in 
our  past  lives  which  have  been— more  or  less 
—agreeable — or  otherwise." 

"  1  have  a  confession  to  make  to  you,  Miss 
Hardenbeck." 

"A  confession — well?" 

He  moves  across  the  room  to  her  and 
speaks  with  simple  earnestness  at  first;  hon 
estly,  and  with  straightforward  sincerity. 
There  is  no  conscious  reserve  apparent  of  any 
deeper  feeling  on  his  part,  and  there  is  no 
coquetry  in  the  intense  interest  with  which 
she  listens  to  him. 

"You  helped  me  that  night  to  forget 
many  things  which  I  do  not  wish  to  remem 
ber;  to  forget  what  is  bad  in  other  people  and 

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LOVE  AND  LEGAL  DOCUMENTS 

in  myself.  We  were  in  one  of  the  world's 
recognized  centres  of  vice;  you,  by  accident, 
thinking  it  a  place  of  harmless  merry-making; 
but  I  was  there  because  my  past  life  had  led 
me  to  it  naturally  and  inevitably.  I  was 
merely  standing  where  I  had  often  stood  be 
fore,  at  one  of  the  open  gates  of  the  lower 
world;  and  the  flames  shone  full  in  my  face. 
I  suddenly  turned  my  head  " — 

He  now  forgets  the  reserve  which  he  had 
imposed  upon  himself  as  a  man  and  as  a 
friend;  leaning  toward  her  and  speaking  un 
consciously  with  a  tone  of  passion  in  his 
voice: — 

"And  I  looked  into  your  eyes!" 

Quite  as  unconsciously  she  steps  towards 
him  as  she  listens  and  they  stand  for  a  mo 
ment  looking  at  each  other,  motionless. 

"Surrounded  by  the  vicious  and  degraded 
of  your  own  sex,  I  saw — unexpectedly ! — the 
soul  of  a  true  woman  looking  out  at  me!" 

Kate  draws  back  from  him  with  a  start, 
her  eyes  still  fixed  on  his;  then  turns  away 
and  drops  her  head  speaking  in  a  whisper:— 

"A  true  woman!" 

"There  was  infinite  rebuke  in  your  eyes,  as 

103 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


if  the  indignant  purity  of  your  whole  sex  were 
concentrated  into  that  one  glance.  That  is  the 
most  awful  shock  a  man  of  the  world  can 
feel  when  he  is  seeking  his  own  bestial  pleas 
ures.  If  I  do  good  enough  in  the  world  here 
after  to  make  up  for  the  bad  I've  done,  my 
better  life  will  date  from  that  moment." 

Nothing  so  surely  recalls  a  man  from  a  cul- 
de-sac  that  momentry  passion  may  have  led 
him  into,  ending  in  dangerous  shadows  away 
from  the  light,  so  well  as  the  utterance  of  a 
moral  sentiment;  especially  if  it  be  somewhat 
trite  and  commonplace. 

The  Reverend  Lord  John  Vernor  remem 
bers  himself,  but  Kate  does  not  see  him  do  it. 
Still  looking  down  and  still  listening,  she  is 
somewhat  surprised  at  the  calm  and  formal 
remark  which  follows. 

"  I  thank  you,  Miss  Hardenbeck." 

She  looks  up  at  him  quickly  over  her 
shoulder.  In  the  same  calm  tone,  evidently 
remembering  his  professional  dignity  and 
incidently  his  duty,  again  bringing  his  fingers 
together  before  him,  he  continues:— 

"  You  love  deeply  and  are  about  to  marry 
my  friend,  Archibald  Pengrue;  and  I " — 

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LOVE  AND  LEGAL  DOCUMENTS 

"  We  weren't  talking  about  Archibald  Pen- 
grue." 

She  swings  away  from  him  with  an  almost 
angry  motion,  he  watching  her.  Why  should 
a  woman  show  pique  when  a  man  is  doing  the 
proper  thing  with  all  his  might? 

"Pardon  me;  we  clergymen  are  apt  to  di 
gress,  and  I  am  wearying  you.  I  have  ac 
quired  the  habit  already.  It  is  merely  my 
duty  to  add  that  I  trust  you  and  Archibald 
will  both  be  in  the  family  pew  regularly/' 

"You  are  absolutely  certain  I  love  your 
nearest  and  dearest  friend?" 

He  shakes  his  head  slowly  and  gravely. 

"  I  know  something  of  your  sex,  Miss  Har- 
denbeck,  and  I  know  that  women  like  you 
do  not  marry  men  for  any  reason  on  earth 
except  because  they  love  them." 

"  You  men  understand  us  so  perfectly." 

"  I  have  looked  into  your  eyes  and  I  know 
you." 

"Are  you  quite  sure  it  was  a  soul  you  saw 
in  the  interior  of  my  person?" 

He  looks  at  her  with  a  sharp  turn  of  the 
head,  and  she  proceeds  almost  sullenly  with 
her  eyes  upon  the  floor : — 

105 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


"  You  utterly  despise  a  woman  who  can 
promise  to  marry  a  man  she  does  not  love?" 

"  I  have  come  to  divide  the  human  race 
into  two  parts — those  who  have  souls  and 
those  who  haven't.  That  doesn't  sound 
quite  orthodox,  but  I  never  deny  the  merely 
theoretical  soul  which  every  human  being 
possesses.  Scientists  are  beginning  to  deny 
their  atoms  but  we  clergymen  don't.  I  only 
mean  that  the  souls  of  men  and  women  in 
great  numbers  are  not  sufficiently  developed 
for  any  practical  purpose  in  this  life.  Such 
a  person  is  merely  a" 

"Guinea  pig." 

"Exactly;  that  is "- 

Kate  begins  to  pat  her  foot. 

"With  the  one  human  attribute  to  which 
I  have  referred;  a  theological  atom  we  call 
a  'soul.'  But  we  need  not  speak  harshly 
even  of  men  and  women  like  that;  we  might 
class  such  people,  at  least,  with  the  more  dig 
nified  animals." 

"Thank  you." 

"Eh?" 

"Proceed,  my — my  pastor." 

"A  man  who  marries  for  wealth — we  might 

106 


LOVE  AND  LEGAL  DOCUMENTS 

call  him  a  horse,  looking  for  oats;  a  woman 
who  marries  for  a  home — she  wants  a  warm 
stable." 

"Or  for  a  title — a  crest  on  the  harness. 
You  do  despise  such  creatures  as  that/' 

"Oh,  no!  One  doesn't  despise  a  fine  an 
imal  in  Hyde  Park  or  on  a  breeding  farm." 

Kate  begins  to  twist  her  handkerchief 
tightly;  her  teeth  set  firmly. 

"And  even  a  human  being,  Miss  Harden- 
beck,  born  on  a  low  scale  of  moral  intelligence, 
just  above  the  animals  shall  we  say? — can 
hardly  be  held  responsible  to  our  own  higher 
laws." 

"Ah!" 

A  short  vicious  cry.  Kate  tears  the  hand 
kerchief  to  shreds,  scattering  the  fragments, 
and  swings  to  the  window,  looking  out  over 
the  veranda.  He  stares  at  her  in  astonish 
ment  and  she  turns  on  him  with  almost  the 
glare  of  a  savage  woman. 

"  You  may  despise  me,  Lord  John  Vernor!" 

"What  do  you  mean?" 

"  I  will  tell  you  the  truth.  I  don't  know  why 
I  should;  you  are  not  my  father-confessor— 
and  I  don't  want  to  tell  you;  but  I  can't  help 

107 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


it;  I  will  tell  you  the  truth.  Archibald  and 
I  have  never  loved  each  other  and  we  do  not 
pretend  to.  You  can  give  us  credit  for  hon 
esty  at  least;  what  animal  are  we  like?  None! 
We  are  beneath  them." 

" Think  better  of  what  you  are  saying." 

"It  is  a  relief  to  speak  of  it.  That's  the 
reason  I  am  telling  you,  I  suppose.  Archi 
bald  and  I  understand  each  other  perfectly 
and  we  shall  sign  the  contract  to-day.  It  is 
to  his  interest  and  it  fulfills  my  ambition." 

"  I  shall  never  again  believe  what  I  see  in 
a  woman's  eyes." 

"It  is  not  wise,  Lord  John." 

"  I  do  despise  you — both." 

There  is  all  the  bitterness  in  his  tone  of  a 
man  who  loves  a  woman;  he  would  not  lose  his 
courtesy  to  a  woman  he  did  not  love.  Kate 
starts  with  a  rigid  tremor,  as  if  he  had  struck 
her  with  his  fist.  Her  breath  comes  heavily, 
but  there  is  no  tremor  in  her  voice  when 
she  finally  speaks — only  a  rising  emphasis, 
stronger  as  she  goes  on,  and  her  tone  is  colder. 

"  I  have  a  favor  to  ask  of  you.  I  resem 
ble  other  women,  the  best  of  them,  in  one 
respect  at  least;  none  of  us  like  contempt. 

1 08 


LOVE  AND  LEGAL  DOCUMENTS 

Give  me  something  better!  Hate  me!  We 
are  hardly  well  enough  acquainted  for  me  to 
ask  that  honor;  it  is  almost  a  familiarity  on 
my  part.  But  we  met,  as  you  have  said,  at 
one  of  the  gates  of  the  lower  world  with  the 
flames  shining  full  in  our  faces,  and  hatred 
seems  appropriate  for  us.  Let  us  part  with 
that!  Give  me  something  better  than  your 
contempt — we  hate  each  other!" 

She  strikes  her  skirt  viciously  with  her 
riding-crop  and  hurries  out  through  the  bay 
window  to  the  veranda.  He  moves  to  the 
window  and  looks  after  her. 

Bailey  comes  in  from  the  hall  on  the  other 
side  of  the  room. 

"  Lord  John ! — Policeman  Dimps  is  waiting 
to  speak  with  you,  at  the  door  from  the  lower 
park— about  Tow  Path  Bill." 

"His  wife!" 

Lord  John  Vernor's  head  turns  sharply  to 
wards  the  servant  and  his  previous  humor 
readily  lends  itself  now  to  a  brutal  expression. 

"Another  black  eye?" 

"Yes,  my  lord." 

"Say  to  Miss  Catherst  that  I  am  suddenly 
called  away  on  parochial  duty." 

109 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


The  servant  crosses  the  room,  but  turns 
for  any  further  instructions." 

"Tell  her  that  one  of  my  parishoners  needs 
my  immediate  attention." 

He  moves  straight  towards  the  door  with  a 
firm  stride  and  an  expression  on  his  face  of 
an  under-shot  bulldog  aroused  to  sudden 
interest  in  one  of  his  own  race. 

As  Lord  John  disappears,  Bailey  turns  and 
goes  out  in  the  opposite  direction,  merely 
hesitating  to  bow  respectfully  and  pass  on, 
as  a  guest  at  Throckmonck  Hall  comes  in 
rapidly  from  the  further  apartment;  he  is  fol 
lowed  by  another,  walking  more  slowly  and 
more  calm  in  his  manner.  The  former 
crosses  the  room  and  stops  suddenly;  he  is 
biting  the  end  of  an  unlit  cigar.  This  mode 
of  expressing  externally  the  inner  emotions 
of  a  man  under  trying  circumstances  would 
proclaim  him  a  native  American  citizen  in 
any  corner  of  the  world. 

"Tenbroeck!  That  Dook  upstairs  is  a 
fool!" 

"  I  think  we  can  arrange  matters,  Mr.  Har- 
denbeck." 

"I  begin  to  doubt  whether  this  marriage 

no 


LOVE  AND  LEGAL  DOCUMENTS 

of  our  two  youngsters  will  come  about  after 
all/1 

A  tall  gray-haired  woman  in  a  rich  cos 
tume,  stately,  dignified,  simple,  comes  in 
from  the  hall. 

"Ah,  Duchess!" 

"Mr.  Hardenbeck!" 

"Mr.  Franklin  Tenbroeck,  of  New  York— 
my  attorney.  This  is  the  Dock's  wife." 

"Your  Grace!" 

"We  were  expecting  you,  Mr.  Tenbroeck. 
Fm  afraid  your  own  good  wife  is  a  little  upset 
this  afternoon,  Mr.  Hardenbeck.  We  have 
been  driving  and  she  hurried  to  her  apart 
ments  at  once  on  our  return." 

"  Yes,  poor  old  girl ! — these  marriage-settle 
ments  and  contracts.  It  was  different  in 
Denver  when  mother  and  I  fell  in  love.  We 
just  got  married  and  that  was  all  there  was 
of  it.  I  had  ninety-seven  dollars  in  the  sav 
ings  bank  and  mother  had  three  dresses  and 
a  new  bonnet.  One  day,  a  little  girl-baby 
came  to  lie  on  the  pillow  between  us  in  the 
cottage;  and  that's  what  mother  is  worrying 
about  now,  Duchess." 

"  I  can  sympathize  with  her." 

in 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


"She  has  told  me  a  dozen  times  that  your 
boy  and  our  girl  really  love  each  other." 

"  That,  of  course,  is  desirable." 

"She  watched  them  making  love  in  Paris. 
So  did  I;  but  I'm  not  up  in  the  way  they  do 
it  now;  and  as  to  trying  to  understand  my 
girl,  I  never  know  whether  a  woman  means 
what  she  says  or  something  else  or  nothing  at 
all,  except  mother.  But  it's  all  right,  I  sup 
pose." 

"You  and  the  Duke,  I  trust,  have  had  a 
pleasant  day  together,  arranging  matters  for 
our  dear  children." 

"M — m — well!  It's  been  an  interesting 
day." 

"Undoubtedly.  Mr.Tenbroeck!  The  Duke 
and  I  will  be  glad  if  you  can  make  your  home 
at  Thrummock  Hall  during  your  stay  in 
England." 

"Thank  you;  but  I  am  holding  myself  in 
readiness  to  start  for  New  York  at  a  moment's 
notice." 

"I  am  sorry." 

Passing  him  with  a  pleasant  smile  and  a 
graceful  inclination  of  the  head;  she  leaves 
them  together.  The  unlit  cigar  of  Mr.  Erastus 

112 


LOVE  AND  LEGAL  DOCUMENTS 

G.  Hardenbeck,  of  Denver  and  New  York, 
resumes  its  national  functions  between  his 
teeth. 

"The  Dook  and  I  had  a  monkey  and  par 
rot  time  together  before  you  and  his  solic 
itor  joined  us." 

"  I  was  surprised  to  learn  that  you  had  taken 
up  the  matter  at  all  before  my  arrival.  In 
my  first  letter  from  New  York  I  wrote  you 
frankly  that  it  would  require  a  very  large 
amount  of  money  to  arrange  the  marriage 
of  an  American  heiress  with  the  son  of  a 
great  European  nobleman  like  the  Duke  of 
Mannerton." 

"He  wants  the  Earth.  I  might  give  him 
the  western  hemisphere;  if  it  weren't  for  the 
Monroe  Doctrine." 

Mr.  Tenbroeck  drops  into  the  chair  at  the 
table;  a  slight  man,  with  iron-gray  hair  tend 
ing  to  white;  a  firmly  set  mouth,  but  every 
feature  delicate;  a  man  of  well -con  trolled 
power  apparently  in  intellect  and  character. 

"  It  is  evident  to  me,  Hardenbeck,  that  you 
don't  understand  the  situation/' 

"  1  told  the  Dook  before  you  came  that  I'd 
put  up  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  if  he'd 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


put  up  the  same  and  we'd  start  the  young 
folks  off  with  a  boom." 

"M— m." 

"And  I  promised  I'd  give  his  son  a  clerk 
ship  in  one  of  my  railroad  offices,  to  work  up 
from;  he  isn't  in  any  business  now." 

Mr.  Tenbroeck  laughs;  his  client  proceeds. 

"I  thought  I'd  exploded  a  bomb-shell  un 
der  the  Dook.  After  that  we  entertained 
each  other  with  reciprocal  profanity  until 
you  and  Ancott  came  in." 

"We  will  discuss  millions  of  dollars  in  this 
settlement,  not  thousands." 

"Wh— a— t!  Are  you  the  Dook's  attor 
ney  or  mine?" 

"Neither;  I  am  Kate's.  I  wrote  you  that 
also  in  my  last  letter.  She  has  been  my 
little  pet  from  her  childhood.  I  am  her 
attorney;  and  Kate's  mother  told  me  she 
hoped  you'd  be  as  liberal  as  possible  with  the 
young  people." 

Hardenbeck  stands  a  moment  in  thought; 
then  drops  upon  the  sofa  opposite  Tenbroeck; 
still  thinking. 

"Mother  said  the  same  thing  to  me.  But 
look  here,  Tenbroeck;  you  talk  about  millions 


114 


LOVE  AND  LEGAL  DOCUMENTS 

of  dollars  in  these  settlements;  what  do  I  pay 
you  twenty  thousand  dollars  a  year  for  as 
a  retainer? — besides  a  big  fee  for  every 
case?" 

"For  honest  advice." 

"That's  a  fact;  and  you  are  worth  it  to  me. 
You  are  the  only  man  in  New  York  I  can  hire 
to  tell  me,  about  once  in  three  months,  that 
Fm  an  infernal  scoundrel;  and  legal  advice 
like  that  helps  keep  one  of  us  multi-million 
aires  out  of  the  penitentiary.  I  appreciate 
your  services.  Now  I  suppose  you're  going 
to  tell  me  Fm  a  miserly  old  skinflint.  Very 
well;  put  it  in  your  next  bill.  We've  got  to 
talk  about  millions,  you  say." 

"For  Kate." 

The  multi-millionaire  is  thoughtful  for 
some  moments  before  he  speaks. 

"For  Kate  and  mother!" 

He  rises  quietly  and  walks  partly  across 
the  room. 

"You  must  meet  the  natural  and  proper 
obligations  of  your  great  wealth.  You  would 
like  to  be  liberal,  Hardenbeck;  for  you  are  a 
man  of  brains.  But  you  can't  be,  without 
my  help." 

"5 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


"  1  was  five  years  saving  up  that  first  ninety- 
seven  dollars;  and  it  was  a  hard  school." 

"  You  have  one  good  quality." 

"That  isn't  a  long  list;  you  may  read  it." 

"You  love  your  wife  and  your  daughter 
devotedly." 

"Yes!" 

"And  no  one  else." 

"No  other  human  being  on  earth." 

"That  is  not  one  of  your  good  qualities. 
I'll  make  a  note  now  of  the  total  amount  for 
these  settlements;  we  can  arrange  the  details 
afterwards." 

Tenbroeck  takes  a  notebook  from  his  pock 
et  and  rises. 

"Shall  we  say  two  million  dollars?" 

"Two  million!" 

"  You  made  twice  that  amount  yesterday 
in  one  turn  of  the  New  York  market.  It  is 
for  Kate." 

"  For  Kate  and  mother." 

The  attorney  writes  in  his  notebook. 

"Three  millions!" 

"Hold  on!     You  said  two!" 

"Shall  I  make  it  five?" 

"Not  a  dollar  more;   keep    it   at   three0 

116 


LOVE  AND  LEGAL  DOCUMENTS 

Here  comes  the  Dook — and  Ancott — I'm  glad 
they've  interrupted  us;  you'd  have  had  it  ten 
millions." 

A  large  man  with  a  heavy  tread  en 
ters  the  drawing-room.  He  is  that  curious 
but  frequent  anomaly  of  human  nature  in 
Europe,  a  "gentleman"  by  birth  and  a 
"tough"  by  personal  choice  and  life-long 
association.  His  face  is  heavy;  his  eyelids 
are  heavy,  shading  a  heavy  outlook  of  the 
eyes;  everything  about  him  is  "heavy/' 
until  he  speaks;  then,  a  soft,  sweet  voice  and 
a  genial  smile;  a  manner  gentle  and  courteous. 
Back  of  him  comes  a  little  man  in  a  black 
frock  coat — one  knows  instinctively  that  a 
smooth  silk  hat  is  waiting  in  the  hall  to  go 
with  the  coat;  a  precise,  firm,  accurate  man; 
a  man  whose  undoubted  and  eminent  respec 
tability  is  recognized  by  every  one  at  the  first 
glance.  The  Duke  himself  is  in  a  rough, 
long-worn  riding  suit  and  he  pounds  into  the 
room  with  the  easy  swing  of  a  butcher  at  home. 

"Our  conversation  was  broken  off  very 
abruptly,  Mr.  Hardenbeck." 

"I'm  afraid  my  last  few  remarks  were  a 
little  too  emphatic,  Dook." 

117 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


"Don't  mention  it;  I  haven't  had  such  a 
good  time  since  Captain  Tom  died;  an  old 
friend  of  mine;  we  used  to  swear  together. 
Shall  we  go  through  the  stables?  I've  a  fine 
lot  of  racing  colts  coming  on." 

Mr.  Tenbroeck  intervenes. 
"We  are  now  prepared  to  finish  our  con 
ference." 

"Oh!  Very  well.  We'll  begin  where  we 
left  off.  Mr.  Hardenbeck  and  I  had  sent  each 
other  to  the  infernal  regions;  we  will  recall 
ourselves!" 

"  Pardon  me,  your  Grace!' 

"Well,Ancott?" 

"  I  must  catch  the  first  possible  train  back 
to  London,  and  we  will  lose  as  little  time  as 
we  can  on  any  superfluous  words  that  do  not 
have  a  legal  bearing  on  the  case." 

The  Duke  drops  upon  the  sofa  and  Mr. 
Hardenbeck  into  an  armchair  on  the  oppos 
ite  side  of  the  room.  Mr.  Ancott  clears  his 
throat  with  professional  dignity  and  pre 
cision. 

"We  were  discussing  the  great  antiquity 
of  my  august  client's  family  and  the  dignity 
of  our  ducal  rank.  I  still  claim  that  these 

118 


LOVE  AND  LEGAL  DOCUMENTS 

considerations  must  be  duly  recognized  by 
Mr.  Hardenbeck  in  the  form  cf  a  special 
dower  for  his  daughter  before  we  can  proceed 
to  consider  the  joint  settlements." 

"A  bonus  from  me  for  your  title,  Dook, 
and  that  underground  property." 

"Underground?" 

"Your  ancestors.  If  they  aren't  under 
ground  and  don't  keep  there  I  won't  have 
anything  to  do  with  'em,.  There  is  a  differ 
ence  in  our  families,  Dook.  I  started  life  as 
a  boy  of  all  work  on  a  canal;  kicked  by  the 
Captain  and  by  the  mule  on  the  tow-path; 
they  were  both  my  social  superiors.  While 
I  was  communing  with  the  hind  legs  of  that 
mule  1  never  dreamed  that  I  should  be  raised 
so  high  in  the  world  some  day.  I  am  short  of 
ancestors,  and  I'll  do  the  square  thing.  Call 
it  five  thousand  dollars  extra  to  my  girl  for 
the  family  graveyard." 

Mr.  Ancott  is  aroused. 

"Absurd,  sir!  Ridiculous!  We  will  drop 
the  whole  matter." 

"Call  the  marriage  off;  all  right." 

Mr.  Tenbroeck  moves  to  his  client  and 
speaks  to  him  quietly  apart  from  the  others. 

119 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


After     the     consultation    Mr    Hardenbeck 
speaks  across  to  the  Duke  and  his  attorney. 

"Five  thousand  dollars  isn't  enough  for 
the  girl's  dowry." 

Then  with  an  incidental  wave  of  his 
hand : — 

"Call  it  half  a  million/' 

Mr.  Scotchburn  Ancott  drops  back  into  the 
chair  at  the  table. 

"Now  for  the  rest  of  this  trade — the  joint 
endowments.  We'll  get  on  with  the  bus 
iness/' 

"Really,  my  dear  Hardenbeck;  you  must 
pardon  me — but  the  words  *  trade'  and  'busi 
ness'  in  connection  with  the  marriage  of  our 
children  seem  objectionable." 

Mr.  Hardenbeck  does  not  hear  this,  being 
again  in  consultation  with  his  attorney. 

"Two  millions  altogether,  you  said." 

Mr.  Tenbroeck  shows  him  a  page  in  his 
notebook. 

"Oh,  yes;  three." 

Then,  across  to  the  Duke: — 

"  I  will  settle  two  million  and  a  half  dollars 
on  the  young  people  if  you  will  do  the  same. 
Is  it  a  bargain?" 

120 


LOVE  AND  LEGAL  DOCUMENTS 

"  'Bargain.'  Can't  we  avoid  the  language 
of  the  counting  room  and  the  market?" 

"We'll  talk  poetry  if  you  prefer  it.  My 
chips  are  on  the  table;  will  you  see  the  pile?" 

"That  is  not  the  language  of  trade,  and  it 
interests  me.  One  hundred  thousand  guineas 
better." 

The  American  multi-millionaire  stares  sud 
denly  at  the  English  nobleman;  rises  and 
beckons  Tenbroeck  to  return  to  him;  he 
speaks,  confidentially: — 

"What  have  I  struck?" 

"The  most  reckless  plunger  on  the  turf  of 
England." 

"And  /  can  make  the  New  York  Stock  ex 
change  sit  up  on  its  hind  legs  and  howl.  Half 
a  million  dollars  on  top  of  that,  Dook." 

"  I  will  cover  that  amount." 

This,  quietly  and  with  a  smile  as  if  it  were 
a  matter  of  daily  custom.  Ancott  is  watch 
ing  his  noble  client  keenly  and  with  anxiety, 
but  he  remains  silent. 

Mr.  Hardenbeck  crosses  the  room. 

"Dook!  You're  a  thoroughbred." 

The  Duke  rises  and  takes  his  extended 
hand. 

121 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


"We  begin  to  understand  each  other." 
National  boundaries  have  disappeared;  the 
two  men  are  no  longer  strangers;  and  they 
walk  to  the  bay  window  chatting  together 
intimately  and  pleasantly.    The  staid  Eng 
lish  solicitor  is  at  work  with  his  notebook  and 
pencil;  but  he  seems  bewildered. 
"  I  am  a  little  confused  about  the  exact  fig 


ures/' 


Hardenbeck  looks  back  over  his  shoulder. 

"  Half  a  million  dollars  in  the  Kitty  for  me; 
then  I  put  two  millions  and  a  half  on  the  table. 
TheDook  raised  me  a  hundred  thousand  guin 
eas  and  I  shoved  it  up  another  half  million 
dollars.  He  called." 

"Quite  right,  Ancott." 

This  ready  assurance  from  his  ducal  client 
does  not  clear  up  matters  for  the  solicitor. 

"  I  don't  understand  these  American  busi 
ness  terms/' 

Mr.  Tenbroeck  comes  to  his  rescue. 

"  I  will  explain  them  to  you." 

"Thank  you.  With  your  permission,  Duke, 
I  will  now  send  for  the  Earl  Catherst  and  Miss 
Hardenbeck. 

"Certainly;  the  marriage  contract?" 

122 


LOVE  AND  LEGAL  DOCUMENTS 

Mr.  Ancott  strikes  the  bell  on  the  table  and 
proceeds: — 

"The  settlement  papers  between  yourself 
and  Mr.  Hardenbeck  are  contingent  of  course 
on  the  signing  of  that  document.  It  will  ad 
vance  our  work  as  attorneys  if  they  sign  it  at 
once,  and  it  will  save  the  young  people  an 
appointment  in  town/' 

The  servant  steps  in. 

"Ask  the  Earl  and  Miss  Hardenbeck  if 
they  will  kindly  join  us  in  the  drawing  room/' 

"  I  saw  his  lordship  in  the  garden  with  Miss 
Dunn,  sir,  a  moment  ago;  but  I  think  Miss 
Hardenbeck  may  be  riding/' 

The  Duke:- 

"Let  us  know,  Bailey.  Speak  to  the  Duch 
ess,  also;  and  I  suppose  Mrs.  Hardenbeck" — 

"No,  we  won't  disturb  mother.  She's  up 
stairs  crying,  I  suppose;  enjoying  herself." 

As  the  servant  passes  out  with  his  messages 
Bianca  Dunn  comes  in  quickly;  almost  run 
ning.  She  stops  abruptly,  looking  from  one 
to  the  other,  and  her  eyes  finally  rest  on  the 
Duke. 

"Bianca,  my  pet!" 

He  moves  to  her  and  drops  his  great  arm 

123 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


about  her  as  gently  as  if  he  were  handling  a 
kitten. 

"What  is  it,  Tommy-girl?  You  have  some 
thing  to  say  to  us." 

"Miss  Hardenbeck  "- 

Mr.  Hardenbeck  steps  near  to  them. 

"What  about  Kate?" 

"  Your  daughter  is  perfectly  safe,  sir." 

"Safe! — that  means  danger." 

"Her  groom — has  returned — alone." 

"What  did  he  tell  you?" 

"He  left  her  down  at  Tow  Path  Bill's 
cottage,  at  the  foot  of  the  Park,  by  the  river." 

Mr.  Hardenbeck  turns  quickly  and  hurries 
to  the  large  window  opening  to  the  veranda; 
he  stops  suddenly  as  he  looks  out. 

"  Here  is  the  girl  now,  coming  up  the  hill." 

The  anxious  father  disappears  on  the  ver 
anda,  and  Tenbroeck  looks  after  him. 

"  Kate  is  walking! — without  her  horse;  but 
she  seems  perfectly  well." 

The  Duke  is  now  deeply  interested. 

"Did  the  groom  lead  her  horse  home, 
Bianca?" 

"No — he  had  only  his  own." 

"1  feel  anxious  about  that  horse;  perhaps 


124 


LOVE  AND  LEGAL  DOCUMENTS 

he's  hurt.  But  he  may  be  taking  a  flyer  on 
his  own  account.  Nothing  would  have  hap 
pened  to  him,  if  you'd  been  on  his  back, 
my  darling.  You  can  ride  all  the  animals 
in  my  stable  better  than  any  man  of  them 
there,  and  you're  as  much  a  pet  with  my 
horses  as  you  are  with  me,  you  rogue!" 

He  has  moved  to  the  'sofa  with  her  and 
dropped  upon  it;  bringing  her  head  to  his 
breast  tenderly. 

"  Hardenbeck  brought  that  horse  from  Ken 
tucky;  a  fine  animal!" 

Kate  walks  in  at  the  window,  followed  by 
her  father,  and  there  is  a  moment's  silence — 
all  looking  at  her  inquiringly. 

"Tell  us  what  happened,  Kate." 

"The  Reverend  Lord  John  Vernor  is  ser 
iously  injured." 

Bianca  raises  her  head  from  the  Duke's 
breast.  He  inquires  with  some  interest : — 

"Does  he  need  our  attention?" 

"No;  the  Doctor  was  already  at  the  cottage 
when  we  took  him  there." 

"What  about  your  horse?" 

"My  horse  is  dead." 

"Ah!     I  was  afraid  it  was  serious." 
125 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


"Go  on,  Kate,  my  girl,  we  want  it  all — at 
once/' 

"I  was  at  the  turn  of  the  road  where  it 
rises  above  the  river  at  the  shoulder  of  the 
hill ;  just  at  the  foot  of  the  Park,  here.  There 
were  two  men  before  me;  one  of  them  was 
Lord  John  Vernor;  the  other  a  rough,  brutal 
looking  man,  very  angry  and  talking  loudly. 
He  turned  suddenly  and  attacked  Lord  John." 

The  Duke,  quietly:— 

"Where  did  Jack  hit  him?" 

"  I  only  saw  the  man  roll  over  in  a  lifeless 
heap  on  the  road." 

"Solar  plexus." 

The  Duke  is  patting  Bianca  on  the  cheek; 
he  kisses  her,  and  continues:— 

"  It  might  have  been  back  of  the  ear  or  on 
the  tip  of  the  jaw.  But  how  did  Jack  him 
self  get  hurt?" 

"My  horse  was  ^backing  with  me  at  the 
very  edge  of  the  rocks." 

"My  girl!" 

"  It  was  nothing,  father,  so  far  as  I  was  con 
cerned.  I  was  simply  lifted  from  my  saddle 
and  placed  gently  on  the  ground;  but  the 
bridle-rein  became  entangled  with  Lord 

126 


LOVE  AND  LEGAL  DOCUMENTS 

John's  arm  as  he  was  lifting  me.  The  poor 
beast  dragged  him  down  over  the  rocks  and 
he  was  thrown  partly  under  the  horse  as  it 
fell.  He  is  now  lying  in  the  cottage  of  the 
man  he  struck;  wounded  and  with  a  high 
fever.  The  physician  told  us  he  was  not  fatally 
hurt,  but  it  would  be  serious." 

Archibald  comes  in  from  the  veranda, 
through  the  bay  window. 

"I  saw  you  walking  up  the  hill,  Kate; 
your  groom  came  back  without  you." 

The  eminently  respectable  English  solic 
itor  has  been  devoted  to  his  notebook  and  com 
plicated  figures  through  all  that  has  passed; 
but  he  now  arouses  himself  with  sudden  in 
terest. 

"  I  trust  you  will  pardon  my  apparent  haste, 
but  we  were  waiting  for  his  lordship  and  Miss 
Har4enbeck  to  sign  the  marriage-contract." 

Kate  Hardenbeck  starts  and  Bianca  rises; 
she  stands  looking  off,  at  nothing.  Archi 
bald  has  his  eyes  fixed  upon  her,  and  Kate's 
eyes,  like  Bianca's,  are  also  fixed  on  nothing, 
firmly  and  steadily,  as  she  half  articulates:— 

"To  sign— the— the"- 

The  Duchess  of  Mainwarton   moves    into 

127 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


the  room  and  to  Kate,  with  her  own  quiet, 
graceful  dignity.  She  kisses  Kate's  forehead. 

"My  daughter!" 

Her  Grace  then  turns  away  and  drops  into 
an  armchair.  Kate  is  still  looking  steadily 
before  her. 

"The  marriage — contract!" 

Mr.  Ancott  has  brought  an  inkstand  and 
pens  from  a  desk  in  a  corner  of  the  great  room ; 
he  and  Mr.  Tenbroeck  have  exchanged  two 
legal  documents,  glancing  them  over  hur 
riedly  yet  with  professional  care.  They  are 
spread  upon  the  table. 

"At  this  line,  my  lord." 

The  Earl  Catherst  drops  into  a  chair  at  the 
table  and  signs  one  of  the  papers. 

"This  one  also,  please." 

He  signs  the  duplicate  and  rises,  extend 
ing  his  arm  and  offering  the  pen  to  Kate. 
Tenbroeck  calls  her  attention  gently. 

"Kate,  my  dear!" 

There  is  a  pause,  all  looking  at  Kate.  She 
is  motionless.  The  Duchess  relieves  at  last 
a  silence  which  becomes  almost  embar 
rassing. 

"This  is  a  doubly  interesting  day  at  Thrum- 

128 


LOVE  AND  LEGAL  DOCUMENTS 

mock  Hall.  Our  dear  niece,  Dorothea,  has 
just  announced  to  me  her  engagement,  sub 
ject  to  our  consent  of  course,  to  our  Rector, 
the  Reverend  Lord  John  Vernor." 

Kate  turns  her  head  sharply  and  looks  at 
the  Duchess.  The  Duke  is  aroused  to  almost 
as  much  interest  as  if  his  niece  were  one  of  his 
own  horses. 

"Oh! — has  she?  Dolly's  goodness  is  a 
trifle  chilly;  virtue  frappe,  so  to  speak;  but 
she'll  make  a  good  parson's  wife;  just  the 
kind  of  a  woman  Jack  needs,  too.  I  never 
miss  a  service  when  I'm  at  home,  and  Jack 
won't  forget  'em  any  more." 

Kate  draws  off  her  right  glove  slowly;  turns 
and  takes  the  pen  from  Archibald's  hand. 
She  sits  at  the  table  and  signs  the  marriage 
contract. 

Archibald  looks  over  her  at  Bianca,  who 
stands  with  her  back  to  them  both;  her  eye 
lids  fall  wearily. 


ACT  III 

STRONGER  THAN  LAW 
OR  RITE 


ACT  THIRD 

STRONGER   THAN    LAW  OR    RITE 

THE  younger  man  starts  suddenly  to  his 
feet  as  an  unexpected  word  applied 
to  himself  strikes  his  ear.  The  man 
who  has  just  uttered  the  word  also  rises 
quietly  and  looks  firmly  into  the  young  man's 
eyes.  It  is  now  evening,  and  the  drawing 
room  of  Throckmonck  Hall  is  lighted  rather 
dimly  by  two  lamps  with  a  few  wax  candles 
here  and  there  in  ancient  brass  sconces.  The 
general  light  is  only  strong  enough  to  make 
the  figures  on  the  old  tapestry,  hardly  dis 
cernible  in  the  daytime,  mere  apparitions 
haunting  the  place.  The  curtains  of  the  long 
window  are  partially  drawn  and  one  side  of 
the  French  casement  stands  partly  open  to 
the  mild  air  of  an  occasional  October  evening 
in  rural  England.  The  weather-stained  fig 
ures  on  the  veranda  now  seem  more  like  un- 

133 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


material  sentinels  guarding  the  apparitions 
within  than  respectable  old  ladies  and  gentle 
men  of  solid  marble.  The  scene  beyond, 
clear  in  the  light  of  the  moon,  is  peaceful  and 
absolutely  silent,  unless  a  quick  ear  may 
catch  the  splash  of  the  river  at  the  foot  of  the 
Park. 

Mr.  Ancott  and  Earl  Catherst  have  been 
seated  at  the  table  with  after-dinner  coffee, 
discussing  an  important  subject  apparently, 
for  both  have  seemed  very  serious ;  Archibald's 
eyes  on  the  floor,  his  head  turned  away;  hard 
ly  listening,  yet  hearing.  The  remarks  of  Mr. 
Ancott,  ending  with  the  word  above  referred 
to,  were  as  follows:— 

"The  firm  of  Ancott,  Scobbun  and  Ancott, 
your  lordship,  have  been  the  family  solicitors 
of  the  Dukes  of  Mannerton  for  six  generations. 
In  the  present  generation  I  constitute  that 
firm,  and  I  trust  your  lordship,  as  the  heir 
of  the  dukedom,  will  understand  that  I 
speak  in  a  strictly  professional  capacity  when 
I  assure  you,  my  lord,  that  your  lordship  is  a 
fool." 

Archibald  Montclare  de  Vere  Pengrue, 
Earl  Catherst,  heir  of  the  Dukedom  of  Main- 


STRONGER  THAN  LAW  OR  RITE 

warton,  and  Mr.  Scotchburn  Ancott  stand 
facing  each  other  across  the  table.  The 
solicitor  proceeds,  looking  firmly  at  the  young 
nobleman:  — 

"My  late  uncle,  Mr.  Fergus  Scobbun,  was 
knocked  down  by  your  father  for  making  a 
similar  remark;  and  one  of  my  distant  an 
cestors  received  his  death-blow  from  your 
own  ancestor  under  the  same  circumstances. 
You  are  a  fool." 

"  I  quite  agree  with  you,  Mr.  Ancott." 

They  bow  gravely  to  each  other  and  re 
sume  their  seats. 

"You  suggest,  my  lord,  that  I  shall  assist 
you  to  postpone  your  union  with  the 
daughter  of  a  multi-millionaire." 

"  Indefinitely;  yes — break  it  off." 

"  Three  weeks  after  the  marriage-contract 
has  been  signed,  and  after  settlements  amount 
ing  on  both  sides  to  a  million  and  a  half 
pounds  sterling  have  been  concluded.  You 
wish  to  sacrifice  all  that?" 

"  I  am  a  fool,  you  see." 

"Again  speaking  with  due  respect  for  your 
exalted  rank,  permit  me  to  say  that  you  are 
more  of  a  fool  than  you  imagine  you  are,  my 

135 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


lord.  The  future  of  your  whole  family  as  well 
as  your  own  future,  and  the  fate  of  the  duke 
dom  itself,  are  at  stake  on  this  marriage. 
Your  father,  the  present  duke,  is  on  the  verge 
of  bankruptcy." 

"Is  it  so  bad  as  that?" 

"Worse.  His  losses  on  the  turf  for  the 
last  five  years  have  been  overwhelming ;  and 
they  are  debts  of  honor,  which  must  be  paid 
whether  a  nobleman's  honest  debts  are  paid 
or  not." 

"So  much  depends  on  this  marriage,  then?" 

"You  are  surprised;  especially  in  view  of 
the  fact  that  we  agreed  with  Mr.  Hardenbeck 
on  a  very  large  joint  endowment.  The  Duke 
hasn't  a  penny  in  the  world  to  meet  that 
new  obligation.  But  I  allowed  him  to  pro 
ceed  in  the  transaction  in  his  usual  headlong 
manner  because  the  amount  of  cash  assumed 
by  Mr.  Hardenbeck  will  relieve  enough  prop 
erty  to  meet  our  immediate  promises;  and 
with  an  American  financial  magnate  as  your 
father-in-law  I  can  extend  our  credits  suffi 
ciently  to  re-establish  the  whole  property  in 
a  long  term  of  years.  Our  largest  creditors 
were  already  impatient  and  threatening  when 

136 


STRONGER  THAN  LAW  OR  RITE 

the  articles  of  settlement  were  signed.  Since 
then  I  have  arranged  with  the  most  dajiger- 
ous  of  them  and  I  hope  to  do  so  with  the  re 
mainder,  in  time.  Even  you,  surely,  must 


see" 


"  Even  such  a  hopeless  fool  as  I  have  been !" 

"  Even  you,  my  lord.  You  must  see  that 
any  postponement  of  this  marriage — to  say 
nothing  of  a  final  break — is  extremely  peril 
ous  in  such  a  crisis." 

The  young  man  thinks  long  and  seriously. 

"Ancott!  When  I  put  my  signature  to 
that  contract  three  weeks  ago  I  had  a  right 
to  sign  it." 

"What  do  you  mean?" 

"  I  am  now  trying  to  solve  this  problem; 
any  gentleman  may  be  a  fool,  but  is  there  any 
definition  of  the  word  'blackguard'  that 
leaves  me  out?  I  appeal  to  you  as  a  young 
man  to  an  older  man;  not  as  my  legal  adviser 
but  as  a  human  being." 

"I  am  not  at  liberty  to  speak  in  that 
capacity." 

"I  have  given  another  woman  the  right 
to  be  known  to  the  world  as  my  wife." 

"A  secret  marriage?" 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


"No;  I  am  not  a  coward  as  well  as  a  fool; 
nor  a  villain — by  nature.  I  make  no  distinc 
tion  in  my  own  mind  between  a  moral  right 
and  a  legal  one;  only  a  scoundrel  does  that, 
I  believe — except  as  an  attorney  for  some 
one  else." 

"The  right  to  be  known  as  your  wife — is  it 
in  writing?" 

"Bah!  That  question  is  an  insult — even 
from  a  lawyer — please  not  ask  it  again. 
I  have  given  her  a  stronger  right  to  demand 
my  love — forever! — than  anything  written 
on  paper  could  give  her,  or  any  ceremony." 

"There  has  been  no  ceremony." 

"Cut  that!— it  has  nothing  to  do  with  the 
matter." 

"Except  from  a  legal  point  of  view;  and 
that  is  all  I  have  to  consider.  The  usual 
custom  of  your  class  under  such  circum 
stances"- 

"Is  to  make  a  proper  'settlement'  on  the 
poor  girl,  like  a  'gentleman7 — and  be  rid  of 
her.  I  know  what  is  in  your  strictly  legal 
mind;  I  can  secure  ample  means  from  the 
fortune  of  one  woman  to  support  another 
woman." 

138 


STRONGER  THAN  LAW  OR  RITE 

He  rises,  turns  away  and  lights  a  cigar; 
the  natural  action  of  a  man  who  finds  himself 
confronted  by  a  difficult  problem  and  no 
solution  in  his  mind;  especially  a  man  who 
has  usually  allowed  the  problems  of  life  to 
have  their  own  way  without  worrying  about 
them.  The  more  customary  cigarette  is  in 
adequate  to  this  occasion.  The  solicitor  also 
rises  again,  walks  across  the  room  and  turns. 

"Your  lordship— Earl  Catherst!  The  so 
cial  principles  and  the  morality  of  my  own 
class  are  definite  and  well  settled.  I  do  not 
presume,  however,  to  express  any  opinion 
as  to  your  class.  I  do  not  presume  even  to 
form  an  opinion,  my  lord." 

"Is  it  absolute  ruin  to  my  whole  family 
and  to  the  dukedom?  Do  not  answer  me 
lightly." 

"Absolute  ruin  and  misery  to  you  all. 
Beggary! — as  near,  that  is,  to  actual  beg 
gary  as  people  of  your  class  are  ever  allowed 
by  Providence  to  come;  postmortem  debts 
and  borrowing  from  friends  for  a  scanty  and 
wretched  livelihood.  I  am  giving  you  the 
exact  facts  as  the  attorney  of  your  family  in 
the  sixth  generation." 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


"  I  told  you  I  was  trying  to  solve  a  problem; 
you  have  solved  it  for  me.  I  am  a  black 
guard." 

He  strolls  out  through  the  bay  window  into 
the  moonlight,  still  smoking.  Mr.  Ancott 
takes  a  notebook  from  his  pocket  and  is  run 
ning  over  the  leaves  as  the  servant  comes  in 
with  a  tray,  to  remove  the  relics  of  after- 
dinner  coffee. 

"Bailey!     Please  ask  Miss— Miss "- 

He  looks  up  and  down  a  page  of  his  mem 
oranda  for  a  name  unfamiliar  to  him. 

"Miss  Bianca  Dunn — if  she  will  kindly  see 
me  in  this  room." 

"Yes,  sir!" 

Mr.  Ancott  again  devotes  himself  to  his 
vade-mecum,  dropping  into  a  chair,  and  the 
servant  turns  to  the  cups  and  saucers. 

A  young  man  in  full  evening  dress,  having 
the  long  drooping  moustache  which  is  part 
of  an  English  officer's  uniform — and  the  only 
part  he  ever  wears,  in  times  of  peace,  when  he 
can  avoid  doing  so — comes  into  the  room. 

"Ah!  Bailey!  You  may— may' '- 

The  servant  turns  to  him  respectfully  and 
waits;  while  the  new-comer  strokes  the  long 

140 


STRONGER  THAN  LAW  OR  RITE 

drooping  moustache  slowly.  An  English 
officer  always  does  this,  especially  when  he  is 
somewhat  in  haste,  before  completing  a  sen 
tence  he  has  begun.  While  he  is  thus  ful 
filling  a  sacred  duty  of  his  profession,  almost 
a  military  regulation,  with  the  nervous  im 
patience  of  a  huge  St.  Bernard  dog  basking 
in  the  sun,  the  Reverend  Lord  John  Vernor 
follows  him  into  the  drawing-room.  One 
arm  is  supported  by  a  loop  of  black  silk 
around  the  neck,  but  it  is  evidently  con 
valescent  and  leaves  the  sling  from  time  to 
time,  returning  to  it  for  occasional  rest  rather 
than  as  a  necessity.  Bailey  is  still  waiting 
for  orders  before  finishing  his  work  at  the 
table. 

"You  may  say  to  the  Duchess  that  I  am 
ready,  please." 

"Yes,  Lord  Ffolliet." 

"Where  is"— 

This  starter  of  another  sentence  is  ad 
dressed  to  Mr.  Ancott,  who  looks  up  and 
waits  patiently  for  the  rest  of  it. 

"Where  is  Archibald,  Ancott?  He  left 
us  all  in  the  dining  room  to  take  his  coffee 
with  you,  here." 

MM 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


"His  lordship  has  just  strolled  out  on  the 
veranda." 

"We'll  join  him,  Ffolliet,  for  another  cigar. 
Where  are  the  ladies,  Bailey?  I  shall  be 
glad  to  see  Miss  Catherst,  if  she  is  at  leisure." 

"The  ladies  retired  to  their  own  apart 
ments,  Lord  John,  immediately  after  dinner. 
I'll  tell  Miss  Catherst  you  wish  to  see  her." 

"Kindly  speak  to  Miss  Dunn,  at  once, 
Bailey — I  must  catch  the  next  train  back  to 
London;  it's  the  last  to-night." 

"I'm  quite  ready  to  go  with  the  Duchess, 
Bailey." 

The  servant  escapes.  The  Captain  of 
Hussars  makes  another  false  start. 

"Dorothea  told  me"— 

Lord  John  Vernor  occupies  his  leisure  in 
lighting  a  new  cigar. 

"Dorothea  told  me  she  was  going  to  the 
prayer-meeting  again  at  Tow  Path  Bill's 
cottage.  Mr.  Lyell  is  coming  here  to 
accompany  her." 

"I'm  sorry  I  can't  go  with  them  myself, 
but  I'm  not  quite  up  to  it  yet." 

"Queer  about"— 

The  first  match  is  a  failure  and  Lord  John 

142 


STRONGER  THAN  LAW  OR  RITE 

has  time  to  wait  again  for  the  captain  of 
Hussars  to  stroke  his  moustache. 

"Queer  about  Tow  Path  Bill  and  his 
prayer  meetings,  isn't  it,  Jack?" 

"  He  is  my  first  and  only  convert  to  Chris 
tianity." 

"He  was"- 

"The  very  worst  sinner  in  Pengrue-Cath- 
erst;  yes." 

The  social  equals  of  Captain  Lord  Ffolliet 
Pengrue  and  his  fellow  English  officers  do  not 
hold  themselves  under  obligation  to  wait  for 
a  postponed  sentence;  they  usually  fill  it  in 
themselves  at  their  own  discretion  and  the 
world  seldom  knows  exactly  what  the  officers 
intend  to  say. 

"You"- 

"  I  reached  the  man's  soul;  that  is,  I  came 
as  near  to  it  as  I  dared — tip  of  the  jaw,  you 
know." 

"Did  Tow  Path  Bill"- 

"As  soon  as  I  was  well  enough  Bill  ap 
peared  in  my  room;  it  was  before  they  re 
moved  me  from  his  cottage.  He  assured 
me  that  a  blow  such  as  1  gave  him  was 
enough  to  make  a  good  Christian  of  any  man 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


on  earth;  and  then  he  dropped  to  his  knees 
at  my  bedside  and  prayed.  The  poor  fellow 
knows  only  one  strictly  religious  word— 
Amen — and  he  hasn't  the  slightest  idea  which 
end  of  a  prayer  it  belongs  to.  But  Tow 
Path  Bill  is  in  deadly  earnest.  To  my  certain 
knowledge  he  has  pounded  four  mill-hands 
into  salvation  already,  and  he  apparently 
expects  to  convert  the  rest  of  the  village 
in  the  same  way.  At  one  of  his  meetings, 
Mr.  Lyell  tells  me,  they  heard  a  cry  outside. 
Bill  jumped  off  his  knees  and  rushed  from 
the  cottage;  dragged  a  half-drunken  wretch 
out  of  the  water  and  then  shook  his  fist  in  the 
man's  face.  'You  come  in  here  and  pray 
with  the  rest  of  us/  he  said,  'or  I'll  chuck  you 
back  into  the  river." 

Lord  John  has  laughed  gently  but  with 
kindly  sympathy  as  he  has  thus  recounted 
his  own  experiences  with  his  first  and  only 
convert  and  what  he  has  heard  of  his  enthus 
iastic  exertions  on  behalf  of  Christianity. 
Lord  Ffolliet  has  listened  without  a  smile. 
He  has  merely  stroked  his  professional  mous 
tache. 

"Your  method  of  missionary  work  inter- 

144 


STRONGER  THAN  LAW  OR  RITE 

ests  me  very  much,  Jack.  I  have  fully 
decided,  you  know,  to  throw  up  my  commis 
sion  in  the  Hussars  and  take  holy  orders." 

"  I  wish  I  could  take  your  commission 
when  you  give  it  up." 

"I  shall  "- 

"  But  that's  quite  out  of  the  question,  of 


course." 


"  I  shall  probably  go  to  Africa  as  a  mission 
ary,  and  your  system  of  conversion  may  be 
useful  to  me.  We  Englishmen  in  Central 
Africa  shoot  down  half  the  tribe  and  then 
convert  the  other  half;  but  your  individual 
process" 

"Try  it,  Ffol;  perhaps  your  fellow  officers 
will  leave  you  a  few  souls  to  save." 

"  I'm — I'm  a  very  good  boxer  myself,  you 
know." 

Bailey  returns. 

"  Her  Grace  wishes  me  to  say  that  the  car 
riage  is  already  at  the  door  and  she  will  join 
you  at  once,  Lord  Ffolliet.  Miss  Catherst 
is  preparing  to  go  out  with  Mr.  Lyell,  but 
she  will  see  you  presently,  Lord  John.  Miss 
Dunn  is  coming,  Mr.  Ancott." 

Bailev  retires. 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


" The  mother  and  I" 

"The  young  widow  again?" 

"The  Duchess  and  I  are  going  to  pay  a  visit 
of  condolence  to  poor  Lady  Sinjon-Glyn. 
The  good  old  Admiral,  Sir  William,  died  and 
was  buried  while  you  were  confined  to  your 


room." 


"Nearly  two  weeks  ago." 

"  Lady  Sinjon-Glyn  has  assured,  my  mother 
that  our  visits  are  a  source  of  great  conso 
lation  to  her." 

Lord  Ffolliet  moves  toward  the  door  and 
Mr.  Ancott  takes  his  eyes  from  the  notebook. 

"Sir  William  Sinjon-Glyn  left  a  large  for 
tune,  I  understand." 

"In  spite  of"- 

Captain  Lord  Ffolliet  Pengrue  becomes  un 
usually  thoughtful  and  there  is  profound 
silence,  as  the  hirsute  soliloquy  continues, 
before  he  goes  on. 

"In  spite  of  that  burden,  his  fair  young 
widow  is  bearing  her  grief  with  saintly  forti 
tude.  She  is  an  angel  of  sweetness  and 
purity." 

He  walks  out  in  deep  thought. 

"I  didn't  have  an  opportunity  at  dinner, 

146 


STRONGER  THAN  LAW  OR  RITE 

Lord  John,  to  congratulate  your  lordship  on 
your  recovery." 

"Thank  you,  Mr.  Ancott." 

"They  tell  me  you  came  very  near  to  the 
point  of  death  at  one  time." 

"The  doctor  did  give  me  up  one  day,  but 
that  was  a  fortnight  ago.  I'm  all  right  now 
-with  a  little  care." 

"This  is  the  first  evening  you  have  been 
out,  I  understand,  since  the  day  you  saved 
Miss  Hardenbeck's  life." 

"I? — saved  her  life?  I  must  have  done  it 
in  my  sleep.  So  far  as  I  can  remember  I 
merely  lifted  that  young  woman  off  the  sad 
dle,  and  in  my  effort  to  get  her  feet  instead 
of  her  head  on  the  ground  my  arm  became 
entangled  in  the  bridle.  She  probably  saved 
my  life — by  remaining  at  the  top.  If  she  and 
the  horse  had  both  tumbled  on  me  I  should 
have  been  done  for.  Bianca,  my  dear!" 

He  turns  to  Bianca  as  she  comes  in. 

"We  were  all  in  danger  of  losing  our  dinner 
to-night  on  your  account.  The  Duke  posi 
tively  refused  to  allow  anyone  else  to  sit  in 
the  chair  at  his  side." 

Bianca  laughs  pleasantly 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


"And  he  declined  to  go  on  with  the  meal, 
at  all,  until  you  were  summoned." 

"The  dear  old  Duke!" 

"  Bailey  told  you,  Miss  Dunn,  that  I 
wished  to  see  you." 

"Yes,  Mr.  Ancott." 

Lord  John  is  looking  at  Bianca  with  interest, 
and  he  approaches  her. 

"My  sweet  little  pet!" 

Patting  her  under  the  chin. 

"So  you  are  the  'baby-imp'  that  Archibald 
and  I  used  to  play  with;  you  weren't  more  than 
two  years  old  then.  But  I'll  not  interrupt 
your  consultation  with  your  solicitor.  I'll 
finish  my  cigar  with  Archibald  on  the  ver 
anda." 

When  Lord  John  has  disappeared,  Bianca 
turns  to  the  attorney. 

"What  is  it,  Mr.  Ancott?" 

"  Be  seated,  please,  Miss  Dunn." 

She  drops  into  an  armchair.  Mr.  Ancott 
walks  across  the  room  deliberately,  stops 
before  her  and  looks  down  into  her  face  with 
the  hard,  inevitable  gaze  of  a  lawyer  about 
to  ask  questions  and  say  something  disagree 
able.  If  he  intends  the  gaze  to  be  discon- 

148 


STRONGER  THAN  LAW  OR  RITE 

certing,  as  lawyers  usually  do  when  seeking 
for  the  truth  or  the  reverse,  he  has  made  the 
same  mistake  perhaps  that  a  serpent  might 
make;  fixing  its  eyes  on  a  bird  attached  to 
the  top  of  a  woman's  hat  left  on  the  grass  at  a 
picnic.  A  serpent  under  such  circumstances 
might  find  a  concealed  hatpin  when  he  had 
finally  decided  that  his  victim  had  been  duly 
fascinated.  Bianca,  of  course,  is  anything 
but  a  stuffed  bird,  but  she  is  nearly  as  quiet, 
and  she  looks  up  at  the  rather  formidable 
lawyer  with  a  half-smiling  expression;  then 
simply  drops  her  eyes  and  waits. 

"  In  the  pursuit  of  my  professional  labors, 
I  held  a  consultation  this  afternoon  with  the 
Honorable  Miss  Dorothea  Catherst,  at  her 
own  request." 

"At  her  request." 

"She  told  me  she  had  sent  for  me  because 
it  was  her  duty  to  speak  frankly.  After 
that  interview  I  made  a  memorandum  in  my 
notebook  as  follows." 

He  reads  from  the  book. 

Bianca  Dunn.  Enquire  further  as  to  her 
relations  with  tJ:e  Earl. 

"Miss  Catherst  said  it  was  her  duty?" 

149 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


"  Her  sad  duty  as  a  Christian  woman." 

"Well?" 

"  I  will  also  read  another  memorandum." 

Afterwards  consulted  with  Lord  Ffolliet 
Pengrue.  Asked  Lord  Ffolliet  why  Miss  Dunn 
was  permitted  to  remain  at  Throckmonck  Hall. 
He  answered:  If  anyone  ventured  to  suggest  that 
Bianca  should  leave  the  Hall,  he  or  she  would 
probably  become  the  Duke  of  M  ainwarton' s— 

Mr.  Ancott's  notes  fail  him  apparently  at 
this  point,  but  he  has  merely  turned  two 
leaves  by  mistake  and  turning  back  to  the 
right  leaf  he  concludes  the  memorandum:— 
he  or  she  would  probably  become  the  Duke  of 
Mainwarton's  next  meal. 

Bianca  gives  way  to  a  merry  fit  of  laughter. 

"  I  love  the  Duke  as  much  as  he  loves  me." 

"This  is  no  laughing  matter,  Miss  Dunn; 
but  I  quite  understand  the  powerful  pro 
tection  you  have  in  Thrummock  Hall.  I 
may  even  say  as  a  matter  of  fact — a  fact  of 
which  I  must  take  due  cognizance  as  his  solic 
itor — that  you  are  nestling  in  the  very  heart, 
so  to  speak,  of  the  Duke  of  Mannerton. 
Nevertheless,  I  am  the  professional  adviser 
of  this  family  and  1  shall  speak  frankly." 

150 


STRONGER  THAN  LAW  OR  RITE 

He  emphasizes  the  silence  which  follows 
by  placing  a  chair  and  sitting  before  her.  He 
looks  into  her  eyes  sternly;  then  speaks  delib 
erately  and  with  unerring  accuracy  of  em 
phasis:— 

"I  have  learned  the  relations  which  you 
now  hold  to  the  Duke's  elder  son  and  his  heir, 
Archibald  Pengrue,  Earl  Catherst." 

There  is  another  brief  silence,  and  a  strange 
expression  begins  to  light  up  the  girl's  face; 
not  such  an  expression  as  a  lawyer  might 
naturally  expect. 

"Archibald  and  I  are  the  only  two  people 
in  all  the  world  that  really  love  each  other." 

The  solicitor  takes  a  little  time  to  think, 
but  soon  recovers  his  professional  poise  and 
manner. 

"That  fact  may  interest  you,  Miss  Dunn; 
but"- 

"We  didn't  dream  that  anyone  else  knew 
it.  Oh! — to  think  that  anything  less  than 
what  we  feel  should  ever  be  called  'love/ 

"  I  dare  say.  But  there  are  certain  con 
ventions  of  social  life  which  seem  to  have  es 
caped  your  attention." 

"  Even  when  I  try  not  to  show  my  love  he 


KATE : A  COMEDY 


only  knows  it  all  the  better.  He  never  saw 
so  much  love  in  my  eyes  as  when  I  was  hiding 
it  from  him." 

"Precisely;  but  as  I  was  saying" — 

"And  yet  I  don't  love  him  half  as  much  as 
I  think;  I  should  die  if  I  did.  1  do  so  pity 
the  poor  women  that  cannot  love  as  I  do. 
How  they  must  envy  us  women  who  can!" 

"As  I  remarked  before,  I  am  the  profes 
sional  adviser  of  this  family;  and" 

"  You  mustn't  think  I  love  Archibald  mere 
ly  because  he  loves  me;  it's  only  because  I 
can't  help  it;  and  Oh! — how  I  thank  him  for 
the  gentle  feeling  that  steals  over  me  when 
I  am  in  his  arms — the  eagerness  that  springs 
into  my  heart !  I  owe  to  him  the  joy  of  loving 
him!" 

"  You  interrupt  me.  You  are  not  the  wife 
of  the  Earl  Catherst." 

"1  am  his  wife!" 

Starting  to  her  feet.  The  astute  solicitor 
sits  back  in  his  chair  watching  her  and  a 
momentary  shadow  of  anxiety  crosses  his 
face. 

"And  I  only!  I  shall  always  be  his  wife, 
living  or  dead!  He  will  never  meet  again 

152 


STRONGER  THAN  LAW  OR  RITE 

with  such  adoration,  and  that  makes  wife- 
hood;  it  is  love  only — nothing  else — that 
makes  a  woman  a  wife." 

Mr.  Ancott  looks  relieved. 

"All  the  rest  is  nothing." 

"You  have  yielded "- 

A  look  of  triumphant  womanhood  comes 
into  her  face  that  one  seldom  sees  except 
in  pictures  of  the  old  masters,  and  in  only  a 
few  of  them. 

"\  have  sacrificed  my  life  to  him;  is  not 
that  happiness  enough  for  one  woman?" 

"Will  you  kindly  be  seated  again?" 

Bianca  sinks  back  into  the  chair. 

"Now  listen  to  me!  Your  acquaintance 
with  my  distinguished  client  has  resulted 
in  your  ruin." 

The  look  of  exaltation  is  still  bright  on  the 
girl's  face. 

"Bless  him!" 

Mr.  Ancott  in  his  own  turn  starts  to  his 
feet,  and  he  looks  down  at  her  for  a  moment. 

"Where  were  you  born?" 

"  I  was  picked  up  on  the  ocean." 

"  I  should  say  so." 

The  eminently  respectable  member  of  em- 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


inently  respectable  society  turns  away, 
scratching  his  head  in  utter  bewilderment. 
Even  the  old  and  trustworthy  word/' Ruin," 
guardian  of  domestic  purity  in  the  eminently 
respectable  centuries  of  the  past,  has  gone 
astray  somehow.  What  more  could  any 
eminently  respectable  member  of  society  say 
to  a  girl?  Mr.  Ancott's  moral  vocabulary  is 
shattered.  He  glances  back  at  Bianca,  then 
turns  away  again,  crossing  the  room.  Scratch 
ing  his  head  is  ineffective  apparently  and  he 
rubs  his  chin,  moving  to  the  window  and  look 
ing  out.  The  church  is  still  there,  and  this  is 
a  source  of  relief.  He  looks  back  again;  fin 
ally  walks  into  the  room  and  drops  upon  the 
sofa,  staring  across  at  Bianca,  who  is  still 
smiling  happily. 

"How  old  were  you  when  they  brought 
you  to  land?" 

"I  was  a  baby.  Did  you  know  Captain 
Tom  when  he  was  alive?" 

"  I  suppose  he  was  the  one  who  picked  you 
up;  was  he  a  married  man?" 

"  I  once  heard  him  say  he  had  a  wife — in 
Heaven.  Are  you  married?" 

"I    am." 


STRONGER  THAN  LAW  OR  RITE 

"  Do  you  and  your  wife  love  each  other?" 

"Do  we — well ! — we — we" — 

The  hesitation  threatens  some  embarrass 
ment,  but  Bianca  brings  relief. 

"  Does  your  cat  ever  have  kittens?" 

"Our? — I  don't  know  that  our  cat  is  ec 
centric." 

The  distant  chimes  from  the  church  tower 
are  heard;  Mr.  Ancott  looks  at  his  watch. 

"I  have  twenty-one  minutes  to  reach  the 
last  train." 

"  I  heard  Captain  Tom  ask  a  married  man 
that  question  one  day;  and  he  told  him  if  a 
man  and  woman  got  married  without  love 
they  weren't  half  as  good  as  cats;  because  they 
knew  more." 

The  lawyer's  case  is  apparently  closed,  for 
he  remains  silent. 

"  Dear  old  Captain  Tom !  He  loved  every 
body  and  everybody  loved  him.  It  was  he 
only  that  taught  me  all  I  know  of  what  is 
good  and  evil." 

"I'm  afraid  he  had  too. much  to  do  with 
your  education,  my  child." 

The  solicitor's  manner  is  becoming  milder 
and  there  is  now  something  almost  soft  in 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


his  tone.     Bianca  is  still  with  her  memories. 

"One  evening — it  was  the  very  night  be 
fore  he  died— and  I  remember  the  chimes  of 
the  old  church,  just  as  we  heard  them  a  mo 
ment  ago — he  rested  his  hand  on  my  head, 
with  his  dear,  sweet,  gentle  smile,  and  he  said 
that  true  religion  was  all  covered  by  one  little 
word — love! — and  damn  the  rest  of  the 
Commandments. " 

Mr.  Ancott  rises.  Bianca's  face  bears  an 
expression  of  heavenly  peace;  she  is  looking 
up  with  a  gentle  smile. 

"  He  is  an  angel  now." 

"Is  he?" 

"My  guardian  angel!  It  seems  to  me  as 
if  he  were  standing  behind  my  chair  at  this 
very  moment." 

"  Talking  to  me  through  your  lips.  1 1  does 
begin  to  seem  like  that.  These  ideas  never 
came  from  your  own  little  head ;  I  can  almost 
see  him  myself — behind  your  chair." 

Has  the  shrewdness  of  a  lawyer  come  back 
to  him? — and  is  there  a  purpose  in  his  mind? 
He  looks  steadily  across  the  room  over  the 
girl  and  beyond  the  chair  she  is  sitting  in. 

Bianca  turns  slowly  and  looks  up  over  her 

156 


STRONGER  THAN  LAW  OR  RITE 

shoulder,  then  quietly  drops  her  head,  looking 
down.  With  the  faded  gray  figures  in  the 
tapestry  it  would  be  hard  to  say  what  else 
may  be  in  the  dimly  lighted  room;  and  the 
sensitive  girl,  with  all  her  nerves  aroused, 
might  almost  imagine  that  some  moonlit 
figure  had  wandered  in  from  the  veranda. 

"These  are  not  your  own  ideas,  Miss  Dunn; 
and  I  do  not  purpose  to  argue  any  longer  with 
a  dead  man." 

He  walks  across  to  her. 

"Captain  Tom  loved  everybody,  you  say. 
Did  he  ever  tell  you  it  was  wrong  to  bring 
those  we  love  to  misery  and  ruin  and  pauper- 
dom?" 

The  girl  looks  up  at  him  with  a  sharp, 
quick  movement. 

"Misery! — and  ruin!" 

"Do  you  love  Archibald  Pengrue?" 

-Do   I— love!— Archibald?" 

"You  are  a  danger  to  him." 

"A  danger!  I  often  think  of  that;  but  I  try 
not  to." 

Rising. 

"I  love  him!" 

"You  are  bringing  him  to  ruin.     Even  if 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


he  does  not  yield  to  his  own  infatuation  the 
woman  he  has  promised  to  marry  may  dis 
cover  the  truth  at  any  moment;  and  if  this 
union  with  a  rich  American  fails  Archibald 
and  his  family  will  come  to  utter  misery.  I 
do  not  exaggerate.  It  is  a  literal  fact.  1 
am  solicitor  of  this  family  and  know  of 
what  I  speak.  I  am  telling  you  the  simple 
truth.  Captain  Tom  told  you  that  true 
religion  is  all  covered  by  the  one  little  word- 
love!  Do  you  think  he  would  advise  you 
now  to  leave  Thrummock  Hall  as  soon  as 
possible,  or  to  remain  here? 

He  turns  his  head  slowly  and  looks  over 
the  back  of  the  empty  chair,  with  more  sense 
of  a  presence  there,  it  may  be,  than  a  man 
like  him  would  be  willing  to  admit. 

"I  will  leave  you  and  the  old  sailor  to 
gether.     Consult  with  him,  my  child." 
He  glances  hastily  at  his  watch. 

"  Good-bye." 

"Good-bye,  sir." 

The  man  of  law  walks  straight  across  the 
room  and  out  at  the  door,  leaving  the  girl  alone 
with  the  scattered  lights  and  the  shadows  and 
faded  tapestry.  Her  heart  seems  to  be  gather- 

158 


STRONGER  THAN  LAW  OR  RITE 

ing  blood,  not  sending  it  out  through  her  body, 
and  she  stands  looking — where? — backward 
into  herself.  Then  she  turns  away  from  her 
self  and  starts  as  if  she  saw  something  be 
yond  the  chair.  She  drops  upon  her  knees. 
The  chair  has  become  a  prie-dieu;  but  only 
for  a  moment.  The  girl  throws  up  her  head 
and  springs  to  her  feet ;  then  hurries  through 
the  room  and  out  at  the  long  window  to  the 
veranda. 

Silence  again;  not  even  the  flutter  of  a 
curtain,  for  the  October  night  is  very  quiet; 
and  perfect  stillness  everywhere,  except  on 
the  water  of  the  river,  seen  in  the  uncertain 
glimmer  of  moonlight  and  then  gone,  as  it 
hurries  by  at  the  foot  of  the  Park. 

"  So  Ffolliet  has  gone  to  pay  another  visit 
of  condolence  to  Lady  Sinjon-Glyn;  he's 
been  there,  with  the  ducal  mamma,  every 
evening  for  the  last  week." 

Archibald  is  speaking  to  his  clerical  friend, 
as  they  stroll  in  through  the  bay  window. 

"Ffolliet  remarked  as  he  was  going  that 
the  young  widow  is  an  'angel  of  purity/  " 

"Lady  Sin!" 

"So  she  is;  her  own  kind  of  an  angel  and 

'59 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


her  own  kind  of  purity.  Between  you  and 
me,  it  looks  as  if  she  had  been  saving  your 
brother,  Ffolliet,  from  himself." 

"M-m.  Fannie  saved  me  from  myself  once." 

"So  she  did  me — twice;  and  she's  never  in 
the  slightest  danger." 

"Ffol  doesn't  know  it's  a  habit  she  has." 

Archibald  turns  and  stands  in  the  long 
French  window,  looking  out,  the  smoke  of  his 
cigar  floating  upward  undisturbed.  His  com 
panion  drops  into  a  chair  at  the  table. 

"No  man  who  knows  Lady  Sin  long  enough 
has  ever  doubted  her  ultimate  virtue;  but 
it  isn't  on  the  surface.  What  a  contrast, 
Archibald,  to  your  own  sweet  cousin,  Dor 
othea  ! — a  modest  woman  in  her  full  armor." 

Archibald  turns  from  the  window  and  drops 
into  a  chair  at  the  table. 

"  I  have  never  seen  you  so  attentive  to 
Dorothea  as  you  were  to-night,  Jack." 

"  I  know  her  now  so  much  better  than 
I  ever  did  before.  During  my  recent  illness 
she  watched  at  my  bedside  patiently  and 
devotedly,  hour  after  hour  and  day  after  day. 
Her  devotion  was  that  of  a  saint.  I  can 
see  my  own  future  at  last  as  the  honest  rector 

160 


STRONGER  THAN  LAW  OR  RITE 

of  this  parish.     I  shall  have  a  counsellor  and 
a  friend;  a  companion  to  guide  me." 

"  I  congratulate  you,  Jack,  on  marrying  the 
woman  you  love." 

"My  feeling  for  Dorothea  will  be  some 
thing  better  than  love — no — not  better  than 
that;  nothing  is;  but  it  will  be  the  higher  love 
—I  shall  worship  her!  Never  once  during 
my  illness — that  is,  except  at  night,  of  course 
— the  trained  nurse  watched  me  then — never 
once — in  the  daytime — did  I  open  my  eyes- 
half  awake  and  half-dreaming — that  Dor 
othea  was  not  watching  at  my  bedside  like  a 
Sister  of  Charity  doing  her  appointed  duty. 
I  don't  mean  that,  either;  there  is  something 
about  the  word  'duty'  that  I  don't  like.  I 
ought  to  like  it.  But  I  don't.  It  was  some 
thing  better  than  'duty'  with  Dorothea. 
One  evening — the  day  they  gave  me  up"- 

"You  had  a  pretty  close  call." 

"The  crisis  was  past.  Yet  there  was 
still  a  question  whether  it  had  left  me  strong 
enough  to  live  through  the  night.  The  only 
thing  I  was  fully  conscious  of  that  even 
ing  was — that  Dorothea  was  leaning  over 
me.  I  have  never  known  her  till  now." 

161 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


A  distant  alarm  is  heard;  a  whistle,  fol 
lowed  by  a  call.  Archibald  starts  up  and 
listens. 

"That  is  Peeler  Dimp's  alarm." 

"I  remember  that  signal  well;  'Saturday 
night  and  another  fight/  I  suppose.  You 
and  I  used  to  run  down  to  the  river,  Archi 
bald,  to  be  in  it  ourselves.  The  Duke  would 
give  us  a  guinea  apiece  next  morning  for 
our  black  eyes;  and  tell  us  to  earn  more 
guineas.  Dorothea ! " 

He  rises  as  Dorothea  comes  in,  dressed  for 
an  evening  walk  and  for  duty. 

"John!  Did  we  not  hear  a  signal,  just  now, 
from  the  policeman?" 

"The  usual  Saturday  night  row  among 
the  drunken  mill-hands." 

The  whistle  and  call  outside  in  the  dis 
tance  is  repeated.  Archibald  strolls  out 
upon  the  veranda  quietly  and  disappears. 

"Poor  degraded  creatures!  Mr.  Lyell  and 
I  are  going  down  to  the  meeting  at  Tow  Path 
Bill's  cottage  of  those  who  have  been  saved 
from  the  jaws  of  sin." 

"  You  must  let  me  steal  one  moment  from 
your  good  work,  for  I  can't  go  with  you." 

162 


STRONGER  THAN  LAW  OR  RITE 

Lord  John  moves  to  her  with  tenderness 
in  his  manner  and  takes  her  hand  in  his 
own. 

"  I  have  been  talking  with  Archibald  about 
your  devoted  care  when  I  was  ill,  darling." 

"It  was  my  duty,  John." 

"Duty!  I  admire  that  word,  dear;  it  is 
my  duty  to  admire  it.  It  was  the  duty  of  a 
Christian  woman.  But  there  is  a — a  certain 
chill  in  the  word." 

"Chill,  John?— in  the  word  'duty!'" 

"We  are  to  be  husband  and  wife;  and  I 
have  a  confession  to  make  to  you.  I  used  to 
feel  that  you  did  everything  and  said  every 
thing  from  a  sense  of  duty,  and  it  sent  a 
shiver  down  my  back  now  and  then." 

"John!" 

"I  am  confessing.  I  hardly  dare  go  on, 
but  I  will.  I  learned  one  evening  while  I  was 
ill  that  something  more  than  'duty' — more 
sacred  than  that — was  guiding  you." 

"More  sacred  than  duty?" 

"Love!" 

"It  is  one  of  our  highest  duties,  John,  to 
love  one  another." 

"Y-e-s.     But  there  is  a  difference,  you 

163 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


know,  between  the  word  'love'  in  the  cate 
chism  and  in  the  marriage  service.  I  thought 
at  first  you  hardly  comprehended  that  differ 
ence;  but  I  was  deceived.  You  remember 
that  day  when  the  physician  gave  up  my  life; 
he  even  told  me  that  I  must  be  prepared  for 
the  next  world." 

"  I  asked  him  to  do  that;  it  was  our  duty." 

"Heaven  knows  I  needed  the  warning." 

"We  all  do." 

"On  the  evening  of  that  day — it  is  a  shame 
for  me  to  let  you  know  the  truth — but  I  was 
not  asleep  as  you  thought  I  was." 

"You  mean  when  I  was  obliged  to  leave 
you  for  the  night?  We  feared  that  you  were 
not  yourself;  you  were  hardly  conscious. 
The  nurse  was  instructed  to  send  us  warning, 
at  the  Hall,  if  there  was  the  slightest  sign  of 
immediate  danger." 

"Come  dear — be  seated  a  moment." 

He  leads  her  to  the  sofa  and  sits  near  her, 
still  holding  one  of  her  hands  in  his  own. 

"  I  was  neither  asleep  nor  unconscious,  as 
you  will  see.  A  little  while  after  you  had  gone 
the  nurse  herself  left  the  room  for  a  moment; 
and  then — then — you  stole  quietly  back  into 

164 


STRONGER  THAN  LAW  OR  RITE 

my  room  through  the  shadows  of  the  night 
lamp." 

She  turns  slowly  and  looks  at  him. 

"  It  was  almost  dark  and  you  had  put  on 
your  veil.  You  crept  to  my  bedside  again, 
lifted  the  veil  just  high  enough  and — I  was 
not  sleeping  you  see;  you  bent  over  me  and 
pressed  your  lips  to  mine." 

She  draws  away  her  hand  from  his;  but  he 
seizes  it  again. 

"I  was  awake!  You  vanished  from  the 
room,  but  I  knew,  at  last,  you  really  loved 
me.  My  life  had  nearly  died  out  like  4a  flick 
ering  fire.  My  heart  was  hardly  beating. 
You  brought  a  medicine  the  doctor  had  not 
counted  on.  But  I  quite  understand  your 
hesitation  to  acknowledge  the  truth.  You 
had  never  before  confessed  even  to  yourself, 
much  less  to  me,  all  that  love  meant  to  you. 
It  was  a  revelation;  perhaps  you  feared  there 
was  something  too  earthly  in  such  a  love,  and 
you  dare  not  accept  the  whole  truth  even 
now.  But  the  touch  of  your  lips — pressed 
tightly  and  burning" — 

"Tightly  and"- 

"Yes,  dear — burning! — on  mine.     It  shot 

165 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


living  fire  through  my  own  body — almost 
cold  then — I  was  alive  again!" 

She  rises,  stately  and  dignified,  moving 
away  from  him. 

"It  was  that  kiss  that  saved  my  life." 

"Mr.  Lyell  should  be  here  by  this  time." 

"Are  you  angry  with  me,  dear? — rightly, 
perhaps;  it  was  a  brutal  thing  to  tell  you  I 
was  awake  and  conscious.  But— 

"It  was  not  I." 

"Eh?     It"- 

The  Reverend  Lord  John  Vernor  rises. 
There  are  moments  in  life  when  the  sitting 
posture  becomes  utterly  impossible;  science 
has  never  credited  the  legs  with  their  full 
responsibility  in  the  expression  of  human 
emotion. 

"I  wonder  if  I  heard  your  last  remark 
correctly,  Dorothea?" 

"It  was  not   I." 

"It  certainly  wasn't  the  trained  nurse." 

He  turns  into  the  bay  window  and  stands 
almost  like  a  dizzy  man ;  one  of  those  vertigo- 
moments  in  full  health  when  the  mind 
ceases  to  control  the  body  and  concentrates 
its  hopeless  attention  on  jumbled  and  rapidly 

166 


STRONGER  THAN  LAW  OR  RITE 

changing  lantern-slides  in  the  brain.  He 
tries  to  grasp  an  elusive  thought;  his  hand 
at  his  brow,  then  extended  at  arms  length, 
as  if  an  idea  were  alternately  passing  away 
and  coming  back  again. 

"  You  did  not  honor  us  at  dinner  to-night, 
Miss  Hardenbeck." 

The  mental  vertigo  ceases  for  a  moment 
as  Lord  John  turns  and  sees  two  very  digni 
fied  women  face  to  face  and  looking  straight 
into  each  other's  eyes;  both  of  them  perfectly 
courteous,  but  neither  of  them  smiling. 

"  I  was  obliged  to  send  my  apologies  to  the 
Duchess,  Miss  Catherst." 

Miss  Hardenbeck  bows  to  Lord  John, 
whose  bow  in  return  is  as  quiet  and  as  cold 
as  her  own.  Bailey  comes  in. 

"Mr.  Lyell  is  here,  Miss  Catherst." 

Dorothea  bows  to  Kate,  crosses  the  room 
and  goes  out  to  the  hall.  The  servant  follows 
her. 

Lord  John  has  returned  to  oblivion  so  far 
as  the  present  is  concerned;  but  now  and  then 
the  blank  expression  of  his  face  gives  way  to 
another  expression  and  he  seems  to  be  living 
over  again  a  scene  of  the  past.  If  he  were 

167 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


not  so  entirely  ignoring  her  Kate  might  feel 
herself  an  intruder,  but  she  stands  quietly 
and  watches  him.  At  last:— 

"Lord  John!" 

"  Eh? — Oh ! — pardon  me — I — I  was — think 
ing." 

"Some  beautiful  thought  for  a  sermon.  I 
trust  it  will  not  be  lost,  and  I'm  sorry  to  in 
terrupt  you." 

"Only  an  elusive  memory;  if  it  is  a  memory. 
During  my  recent  illness  my  mind  was  wan 
dering  they  tell  me.  Curious !— how  impossible 
it  is  to  distinguish  between  what  is  real — and 
—and  the  mere  fancies  of  the  brain." 

A  pause. 

"Pardon  me  again,  Miss  Hardenbeck;  I 
am  still  gathering  cobwebs." 

"This  is  our  first  meeting  since  your 
accident!" 

"Yes;  except — my  brain  was  sometimes 
clear  when  I  was  ill,  and" 

"You  remember,  I  see:  Dorothea  allowed 
me  to  relieve  her  at  your  bedside  now  and 
then.  Your  mind  was  so  unsettled  that  I 
imagined  "- 

"  I  did  get  things  mixed." 

168 


STRONGER  THAN  LAW  OR  RITE 

"Yes— you  did." 

"And  they  are  mixed  now." 

"You  sometimes  referred  to  Dorothea  as 
'Lady  Betty'  and  you  called  me  'Fannie' 
now  and  then.  The  trained  nurse  told  us 
you  once  addressed  her  as  'Your  Grace/  and 
you  tapped  her  under  the  chin." 

"Was  I  so  wild  as  that?" 

"One  day,  we — we  all  thought  you  were — 
you  were — dying." 

"I  was;  and  something  brought  me  back 
to  life.  The  blood  shot  through  my  veins 
again — sudden  and  warm  and  strong." 

He  forgets  her  presence  again  and  she 
watches  him  quietly;  but  only  for  a  few 
seconds.  Her  clear,  cool  voice  brings  him 
back  to  himself  just  in  the  instant  apparently 
when  he  has  finally  grasped  that  elusive 
memory,  his  arm  extended  and  his  eye 
gleaming. 

"This  is  my  first  opportunity,  Lord  John, 
to  thank  you  for  the  great  service  you  did  me; 
I  might  have  fallen  over  the  rocks." 

"Don't  mention  it." 

Kate  drops  into  an  armchair  and  Lord 
John  moves  across  to  the  sofa  opposite. 

169 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


"The  Duchess  informed  me  at  dinner  this 
evening,  Miss  Hardenbeck,  that  you  and  your 
parents  are  expecting  to  leave  Thrummock 
Hall  immediately." 

"To-morrow  morning." 

"  I  trust  you  will  have  a  pleasant  voyage." 

"Thank  you.  The  month  of  October  is 
apt  to  be  a  stormy  one  on  the  ocean,  but  we 
have  made  the  passage  so  often  we  shall  hard 
ly  mind  it." 

"Archibald  tells  me  he  will  go  over  next 
May." 

"  He  hopes  you  will  accompany  him  to  New 
York.  We  have  settled  on  a  date  in  June 
for  our  wedding." 

"  He  has  asked  me  to  go  with  him;  we  have 
been  close  friends  for  many  years.  But— 
but  Miss  Catherst  and  I  have  arranged  to  be 
married  about  the  same  time  or  before  per 
haps;  and  my  professional  engagements  may 
detain  me  in  Pengrue-Catherst.  You — take 
an  early  train  in  the  morning,  I  understand?" 

"Before  daylight;  to  catch  the  steamer- 
train  in  London  at  Charing  Cross  Station  for 
Southampton.  We  must  say  good-bye  to 
night." 

170 


STRONGER  THAN  LAW  OR  RITE 

"Yes;  to-night." 

Both  are  silent  for  a  moment.  Those  un 
certain  memories  seem  to  be  stealing  back 
into  Lord  John's  brain.  Kate  reclines  in  the 
armchair  regarding  him  quietly  and  calmly. 

Archibald  strolls  in  from  the  veranda. 

"I  walked  down  as  far  as  the  river,  Jack. 
The  fight  is  all  over  if  there  was  one." 

"The  fight?— Oh— yes— I  remember." 

"Everything  is  quiet  and  not  a  human 
being  in  sight." 

Bailey  appears  on  the  veranda  and  throws 
back  the  curtains  of  the  high  window,  opens 
the  closed  side  of  the  casement  and  then 
crosses  the  room.  The  others  turn  and  look 
at  him.  He  throws  back  the  portieres  also 
of  the  archway  leading  to  the  further  apart 
ment. 

"What  is  this  for,  Bailey?" 

Mr.  Edward  Lyell  steps  in  at  the  window 
and  stops  suddenly,  seeing  the  others. 

"Mr.  Lyell  will  tell  you,  my  lord." 

The  clergyman,  pale  but  calm,  speaks 
very  quietly. 

"I  trust  you  will  not  be  nervous,  Miss 
Hardenbeck;  nothing  very  serious,  I  assure 

171 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


you.    At  least — the  danger   is  entirely  over 


now." 


"Danger?" 

The  Earl  Catherst  has  started  suddenly 
towards  the  window;  Lyell  raises  his  arm, 
checking  him. 

"Do  not  disturb  her,  my  lord!" 

"It  is  Bianca!" 

"Do  not  disturb  her!  She  has  fallen  asleep 
on  the  way  here.  We  met  the  policeman  and 
Tow  Path  Bill  carrying  her  up  the  hill.  Dr. 
Cameron  had  responded  to  the  signal  and  he 
assured  us  that  there  is  nothing  more  to  fear." 

Kate:- 

" Bianca  Dunn!    An  accident,  Mr.  Lyell?" 

"She  was  walking  at  the  edge  of  the  river 
apparently  where  the  rocks  are  wet  and  slip 
pery,  under  the  shadows  of  the  trees." 

Kate  moves  to  the  window  and  looks  out, 
but  turns  back  quickly  to  Mr.  Lyell's  side, 
speaking  under  her  breath  with  nervous  in 
tensity:— 

"Are  you  sure  it  was  an  accident?  She 
loves  you,  Mr.  Lyell,  as  few  men  in  the  world 
have  ever  been  loved  before;  as  you  will  never 
be  loved  again.  I  trust  this  was  an  accident." 

172 


STRONGER  THAN  LAW  OR  RITE 

Dorothea  comes  in,  followed  by  a  rough 
mill-hand  carrying  Bianca  in  his  arms.  She 
is  in  a  flowing  coarse  sheet,  and  her  head  rests 
on  the  man's  shoulder;  her  sweet  young  face 
is  next  to  his.  She  is  sleeping  gently.  The 
man  has  shaggy  eye-brows,  a  low  forehead, 
jaws  and  mouth  intended  by  Nature  to  bite 
and  tear;  a  face  still  discolored  by  drink  and 
horrible;  the  face  of  an  evil  brute  rather  than 
a  man.  There  is  a  strange  contrast  between 
the  two  faces  as  Tow  Path  Bill  moves  across 
the  room  with  the  light  burden  in  his  great 
arms.  Dorothea  leads  the  way,  serene  and 
beautiful;  they  disappear.  Kate  again  speaks 
to  Lyell  under  her  breath. 

"Do  not  throw  such  a  love  as  hers  away! 
There  is  nothing  else  so  great  in  all  the  world; 
nothing  that  can  take  its  place  in  life  for 
any  of  us.  Bianca!" 

She  moves  across  the  room  and  follows 
them  out.  Archibald  has  been  dumb  and 
still,  with  his  head  dropped  and  hardly  daring 
to  raise  his  eyes;  now,  in  a  whisper: — 

"The  doctor  said  there  was  nothing  more 
to  fear?" 

"Nothing;  she  was  rescued  in  time." 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


"What  happened,  Lyell?" 

"  Peeler  Dimps  can  tell  you  more  than  I  can." 

Lord  John:— 

"Tell  us  what  you  know  of  this  matter, 
Dimps." 

No  one  has  been  conscious  of  the  Law's 
representative  until  this  moment,  but  Peeler 
Dimps  stands  in  the  window  at  the  edge  of 
the  veranda.  He  now  steps  forward. 

"It  was  this  way,  Lord  John." 

"We  heard  your  alarm." 

"  I  was  along  the  river,  standin'  by  the  'and 
rail  and  bein'  Saturday  night  and  I  bein'  sober 
I  was  feelin'  lonely,  my  lord,  and  lookin'  down 
into  the  water;  and  I  saw  somethin'  white 
floatin'  by  out  in  the  stream.  That  was  the 
time  as  I  gave  the  alarm,  my  lord;  and  when 
Tow  Path  Bill  climbed  out  o'the  river  with 
the  girl  in  his  arms"- 

"He  rescued  her." 

"  'E  allus  does,  my  lord;  and  it's  lucky  'e 
was  'ome  from  prison;  but  'e  was  swearin' 
most  'orrible.  You  see  'is  prayer  meetin' 
'ad  been  h'interrupted,  Lord  John.  H'omittin' 
'is  exact  words  "- 

"Don't  omit  anything!" 


STRONGER  THAN  LAW  OR  RITE 

"  'E  said  'ed  be  dommed  if  'ed  pull  any 
more  dommed  people  out  o'  that  dommed 
river  and  be  dommed  to  'em,  your  Reverence. 
Then  he  said  'Amen  the  Lord  forgive  him  'ere 
I  be  swearin'  like  a  sinner  and  me  a  Christian 
lamb  Amen/  The  doctor  'ad  'card  my  sig 
nal  and  'e  brought  'er  to,  like;  and  Mrs. 
Grouter  came  out  o'  the  cottage  with  a  sheet 
and  we  brought  'er  up  'ere,  my  lord;  and  that's 
h'all  I  can  tell  you,  my  lord." 

"You  know  of  course,  Dimps,  where  the 
kitchen  of  Thrummock  Hall  is,  and  you  may 
tell  the  butler  not  to  forget  Tow  Path  Bill. 
I  am  speaking  for  the  Earl." 

Archibald  himself  has  sunk  into  a  chair  by 
the  table  and  his  face  is  in  his  hands. 

"Thank  you,  Lord  Jack — I  mean,  Lord 
John." 

The  Law  turns  to  its  new  duties  and  dis 
appears  through  the  window. 

Edward  Lyell  moves  slowly  to  the  table 
and  stands  looking  down  at  Archibald. 

"Earl  Catherst!  I  will  tell  you  something 
more  of  this.  I  was  walking  up  the  hill  by 
Bianca's  side,  and  you  know  too  well  what 
I  may  have  heard  from  her  almost  uncon- 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


scious  lips.  I  will  repeat  only  three  words: 
'Archibald— my  husband!'  " 

Lord  John  starts. 

"Other  words  followed,  almost  inaudible; 
but  I  heard  enough.  Bianca  Dunn  should 
stand  with  you  at  the  altar  of  our  Holy 
Church,  not  another  woman." 

Lord  John  can  barely  find  his  voice  even  to 
exclaim : — 

"Lyell!" 

"You  heard  the  Call  of  the  Wild  again. 
My  prayers  for  you  both  have  not  been  an 
swered,  and  we  must  bow  to  the  Divine  wis 
dom.  But  I  will  offer  my  prayers  once  more 
—and  still  offer  them." 

He  turns  and  walks  away  with  bowed  head 
through  the  window  to  the  veranda;  out 
among  his  fellow  shadows.  Archibald's  face 
is  still  buried  in  his  hands,  his  elbows  on  the 
table.  Lord  John  looks  at  him  a  moment  in 
silence;  and  finally  speaks  in  a  firmly  re 
strained  tone:— 

"Did  Edward  Lyell  draw  the  right  con 
clusion  from  the  words  that  fell  from  Bianca's 
lips?" 

Archibald  drops  his  head  between  his  arms; 

176 


STRONGER  THAN  LAW  OR  RITE 

it  is  his  only  answer.  Lord  John  moves 
quickly  to  the  table  and  brings  his  fist  down 
upon  it  with  a  heavy  blow. 

"Damn  it,  Archibald! — I  am  a  minister  of 
God;  and  for  the  first  time  in  my  life  I  feel 
that  I  am  speaking  with  authority  from  Him. 
Tear  up  that  vile  written  contract  with  an- 
otherwoman;  it  is  a  legal  insult  to  womanhood. 
Bianca  has  a  more  sacred  contract.  She 
represents  God's  natural  law  of  marriage  and 
no  religious  ceremony  can  annul  her  rights, 
be  the  laws  of  man  what  they  may.  We  have 
been  a  pair  of  blackguards  together,  but  you 
shall  join  me  in  prayer.  He  can  hear  it  even 
from  such  vile  lips  as  mine,  provided  it  comes 
honestly  from  our  two  vile  hearts." 

Then,  standing  erect,  his  head  slightly 
bowed,  and  his  former  partner  in  vice  still 
prostrate  over  the  table  with  his  head  between 
his  a'rms,  the  anointed  priest  utters  the  first 
true  prayer  of  his  life. 

"  In  all  humility,  we  beg  Thee  that  we  may 
meet  the  special  temptations  of  our  class  and 
of  our  rank  like  men;  bad  men, we  confess, 
but  still  men.  This  family — august  and 
ancient  according  to  our  worldly  standards — is 

177 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


now  face  to  face  with  the  general  moral  law  of 
Humanity,  and  the  heir  of  its  great  title  must 
now  decide  whether  he  will  obey  or  defy  Thee. 
Let  him  not  dare  to  trifle  with  the  laws  of 
human  love  given  to  the  race  and  ordained 
by  Thee  in  Nature.  Let  us  not  presume  to 
think  in  our  vanity  that  we  created  those  laws 
of  love  by  our  own  puny  statutes;  or  by 
religious  ceremonies  which  we  have  formulated 
and  ascribed  to  Thee.  Above  all ! — let  us  not 
forget  that  man  was  made  in  Thy  likeness. 
The  transmission  of  that  sacred  image  by  the 
love  of  the  sexes  is  the  holiest  of  human 
functions;  and  so,  let  every  man  or  woman, 
tempted  to  make  that  function  serve  the 
mean  and  little  purposes  of  life,  convenience 
or  gain,  ambition  or  family  pride,  recoil  from 
sacrilege,  Let  not  our  marriage  service  be 
made  a  fantastic  mockery ;  nor  let  the  ministers 
at  Thy  altar  pander  to  those  who  insult  Thee 
and  laugh.  Amen." 

"Amen." 

"Our  church  isn't  a  music  hall,  old  man; 
and  don't  put  a  vaudeville  show  in  it. 
Bianca  Dunn  is  your  wife!" 


178 


ACT  IV 

WHICH 
WOULD  BE  A  WIFE? 


ACT  FOURTH 

WHICH    WOULD    BE   A   WIFE? 

AT  first  glance,  Reginald  might  be  mis. 
taken  for  a  part  of  the  decoration  of 
the  room,  a  light,  frail  figure  sitting 
near  the  mantelpiece;  but  it  has  motion. 
Even  the  mere  up  and  down  movement  of 
one  arm  could  be  imitated  in  an  automatic 
curiosity,  if  a  cigarette  between  the  fingers 
and  smoke  issuing  at  intervals  from  the  lips 
did  not  suggest  something  human  in  its  way; 
and  the  lips  themselves  are  too  pale  to  fulfill 
the  ideal  of  an  artist  in  wax  figures. 

The  apartment  is  what  may  be  called  the 
general  reception  room,  just  off  the  entrance 
hall,  of  a  very  rich  man's  house  in  New  York. 
Three  low,  broad  steps  lead  up  toabalustraded 
landing  from  which  a  wide  arch  opens  to  an 
other  room  beyond;  but  the  heavy  portieres 
now  hang  closed.  The  portiere  of  the  en- 

181 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


trance  hall  is  drawn  open.  The  mantelpiece 
and  fireplace  near  which  the  semi-human  fig 
ure  of  Reginald  sits  are  now  concealed  by 
flowers  and  there  are  flowers  everywhere  else; 
wherever  the  ingenuity  of  a  New  York  florist, 
guided  evidently  by  someone  of  superior 
taste,  can  find  a  place  to  attach  or  suspend 
them  or  mass  them  in  banks  or  wreath  them 
over  statuary  or  permit  them  to  overflow  the 
tops  of  exquisite  vases.  There  are  orchids 
which  represent  in  their  profusion  many 
coupons  yet  to  be  detached  from  gilt-edged 
bonds  in  a  crowded  safe-deposit  vault;  fes 
toons  of  roses,  a  wealth  of  American  Beauties, 
lilies  and  clusters  of  white  chrysanthemums. 

"Regie!" 

"Bert!" 

A  newcomer  has  strolled  in  from  the  hall 
with  the  incidental,  uninterested  manner  of 
certain  young  New  Yorkers;  blase  long  before 
his  time;  a  very  different  young  man  from 
the  little  cigarette  smoker  near  the  mantel; 
quite  as  frail  in  his  figure,  but  lithe;  indeed 
a  much  larger  man  might  do  well  to  wait 
until  further  dissipation  had  weakened  him 
hopelessly,  if  he  desired  to  test  his  physical 

182 


WHICH  WOULD  BE  A  WIFE? 

possibilities.  He  has  thin  cheeks  and  a  dark 
color  about  the  eyes,  as  if  from  late  nights 
and  worse;  but  the  eyes  themselves  are  keen 
even  under  drowsy  lids  falling  over  them. 
He  swings  about  in  the  centre  of  the  room 
and  surveys  the  decorations. 

"Not  bad.     De  Peyster  Wolfe  here?" 

"M-m." 

"Any  of  the  women?" 

"Some." 

A  servant  appears  and  throws  back  the 
portieres  of  the  wide  opening,  discovering 
the  music  room  beyond,  also  magnificently 
decorated;  and  a  special  canopy  of  flowers 
within  it  proclaims  a  wedding.  There  are 
colored  windows  on  the  opposite  side  of  this 
room  through  which  the  light  of  a  bright  June 
day  is  shining. 

Four  beautiful  young  women  are  chatting 
in  a  group,  in  the  music  room;  all  in  mousseline 
de  sole,  Louis  XVI — embroidered  revers; 
Marie  Antoinette  toques  of  velvet,  and  aigrettes; 
souvenirs  in  diamonds.  Being  all  in  the  same 
costume  they  are  all  bridesmaids,  of  course. 
Two  of  them  glance  up,  seeing  Herbert,  and 
give  him  a  toss  of  the  hand.  He  raises  his 

183 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


own  hand  and  dips  it  jauntily.  Then  all  four 
of  the  young  beauties  look  up  in  another 
direction,  rise  and  disappear.  Someone — 
important — has  evidently  entered  another 
part  of  the  music  room.  Herbert  turns  to  his 
companion. 

"See  the  church  yet?" 

"M-m.     You?"  ' 

"No;  just  up.    Supper." 

"Lottie?" 

"Cora.     You  skipped." 

"DanMacy's." 

"Lose  much?" 

"Ten  thousand." 

"How  does  the  church  look?" 

"Flowers.     Ribbons." 

"Crowd,  of  course." 

"Mob." 

"Same  old  thing;  your  wedding  next  week." 

"M-m.     Bore." 

"  Deadly.     My  wedding  is  off." 

"M-m." 

Two  more  bridesmaids  are  shown  in  by  the 
servant  and  mount  the  steps  to  the  music 
room.  Reginald  rises  and  bows  languidly. 
The  bridesmaids  return  the  bow  and  dis- 

184 


WHICH  WOULD  BE  A  WIFE? 

appear.  Herbert  has  watched  them  with 
interest,  and  he  now  looks  at  Reginald. 

"Who  the  devil?"- 

"San  Francisco." 

"Oh!" 

Mr.  de  Peyster  Wolfe  steps  in  from  the 
music  room  and  stops  a  moment  upon  the 
landing  as  he  sees  the  young  men. 

"Herbert!  I  was  afraid  you  wouldn't 
turn  out  in  time." 

"  I  gave  my  man  definite  instructions  when 
I  tumbled  into  bed  to  bathe  me  and  dress  me 
and  put  me  in  the  brougham.  He  waked 
me  up  at  the  door,  here." 

"Regie! — you're  standing  up.  I  put  you 
in  the  chair  to  rest." 

Then,  with  a  very  impressive  manner,  but 
with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye : — 

"You  and  Herbert  have  strenuous  duties 
before  you  to-day;  to  show  the  ladies  to  the 
carriages,  out  of  them  at  the  church,  back 
again  after  the  service  and  out  of  the  car 
riages  at  the  house.  I  have  promoted  you, 
Regie,  for  faithful  services.  You  were  the 
best  man  to  lift  the  white  ribbon  in  the  centre 
aisle  Fve  ever  had — since  I  first  put  on  the 

.85 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


cap  and  bells  and  assumed  control  of  New 
York  Society." 

He  descends  to  the  others  with  steps  as 
light  as  his  manner,  still  speaking  with  cynical 
good  nature.  He  is  a  man  of  about  forty. 

"This  wedding  is  my  masterpiece,  boys. 
We've  had  a  dozen  reporters  here  already 
to  assure  the  world  of  our  elegant  privacy, 
and  there  will  probably  be  a  feminine  riot 
outside  the  church;  that  will  impress  the 
public  with  our  dignified  repose." 

The  sound  of  stringed  instruments,  tuning, 

"Listen!  We  have  classical  music  at  the 
house  to-day;  that's  a  preliminary  selection. 
But  the  music  at  the  church  will  be  a  dream 
of  Heaven — it  may  be  the  last  one  the  bride 
and  groom  will  ever  have — Lohengrin  to 
creep  up  the  aisle  with,  a  subdued  symphony 
during  the  ceremony,  vox  lumana  angels  will 
accompany  the  blessing,  and  Mendelssohn  to 
crawl  out  by.  All  the  composers  have  omit 
ted  the  third  great  wedding  march — to  the 
divorce  court.  Join  the  women,  Regie." 

"You— you  told  me"— 

"That  they  wanted  to  be  by  themselves; 
but  thev  won't  mind  you." 
1 86 


WHICH  WOULD  BE  A  WIFE? 

Reginald  walks  across  the  room  feebly, 
up  the  steps  and  out  into  the  music  room. 

Herbert:— 

"Til  join  the  girls,  too/ 

"That's  different." 

"I'll  protect  them  against  Regie." 

He  runs  up  the  steps  lightly;  looks  back. 

"Those  two  San  Francisco  girls,  de  Peyster?" 

"I'm  introducing  them." 

"Stunners!" 

Herbert  disappears.  Mr.  de  Peyster  Wolfe 
looks  around  the  room  with  the  air  of  a  con 
noisseur,  or  rather  with  the  air  of  a  master 
in  his  own  great  art. 

"William!" 

The  servant  appears. 

"  You  may  throw  open  the  portieres  of  the 
conservatory." 

A  blaze  of  brilliant  June  light  through  a 
glass  roof  and  many  windows,  with  the  colors 
of  growing  flowers  and  foliage  plants  and  the 
grace  of  Florida  palms. 

"And  now  the  hall  portiere;  draw  it — not 
quite  closed  but  almost — about — that's  it! 
Keep  it  like  that  after  we  have  returned  from 
the  church — iust  enough  to  show  a  glimpse 

187 


KATE : A  COMEDY 


of  the  statue  and  pedestal.  That  I  think  is 
my  last  touch — thank  you,  William." 

William  gives  a  final  shake  to  the  rich  cur 
tains,  now  almost  closed,  to  shut  off  the 
entrance  hall  in  the  general  effect  desired 
by  the  master,  and  withdraws. 

"De  Peyster  Wolfe!" 

"Lady  Sinjon-Glyn!" 

A  vision  of  coquettishly  modified  mourn 
ing;  the  young  woman  stands  at  the  balus 
trade  under  a  hat  that  quivers  with  a  delicate 
suggestion  of  grief;  her  smile  is  equally  sub 
dued  and  almost  evanescent. 

"They  told  me  you  would  be  in  New  York, 
Fannie." 

"Of  course  I  should  be;  came  over  on  the 
same  steamer  with  Lord  John  Vernor;  we 
only  arrived  last  night.  Pretty  close  thing 
for  the  bridegroom's  best  man,  wasn't  it? — and 
I  nearly  lost  the  wedding  myself ;  our  steamer 
was  delayed — I  wouldn't  have  missed  it  for 
the  world.  I  can't  appear  in  my  official 
capacity  as  a  young  widow;  but  I'm  in  it  all 
the  same.  I  just  brought  the  bride  down 
stairs." 

Mr.  de  Peyster  Wolfe  moves  to  the  bal- 

188 


WHICH  WOULD  BE  A  WIFE? 

ustrade.  He  reaches  up  and  takes  her 
hand. 

"Lady  Sin!  I  am  delighted  to  know  that 
you  are  here  again." 

"Thank  you,  dear.  Kate  is  a  picture;  and 
surrounded  by  that  sweet  bevy  of  girls — 
prettiest  lot  of  bridesmaids  I  ever  saw — and 
more  coming.  But  you  are  glad  to  see  me. 
Do  you  mind  stopping  for  a  moment?" 

"Stopping?" 

"My  hand." 

He  drops  her  hand  and  she  wrings  it. 

"This  is  where  you  and  I  used  to  do  Romeo 
and  Juliet  when  the  dear  old  Admiral  left  me 
in  New  York  and  sailed  away.  I  can  spare 
you  a  few  minutes  now.  Wait!  I'll  take  off 
my  glove.  What  a  lovely  display  of  flowers ! 
They  still  depend  on  you,  I  see,  for  all  the 
pretty  things  and  special  events." 

"The  artistic  aspirations  of  a  weary  soul." 

"The  Court  Jester  of  society  as  usual,  I 
suppose." 

"New  York  always  has  one;  I  wear  the 
motley  still." 

"There!" 

Lady  Sin  lays  her  ungloved  hand  over  the 

189 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


balustrade.  He  seizes  it  and  presses  it  with 
ardor  to  his  lips,  holding  it  against  them. 

"How  is  your  wife?" 

He  drops  her  hand  and  starts  back,  turning 
away  from  her.  The  question  is  a  polite  one 
of  course,  but  he  wasn't  expecting  it  at  that 
particular  moment. 

"Cornelia  is  in  Paris." 

"She  and  I  are  such  dear  friends.  Still  in 
Paris?  I  had  a  note  from  her  there.  Well! 
Are  you  going  on,  Romeo?  Presently,  I  dare 
say;  don't  hurry." 

She  descends  the  steps  and  joins  him. 

"Kate  looks  a  bit  pale  except  a  bright 
little  flush  on  each  cheek;  quite  becoming  to 
her;  but  she  is  a  bundle  of  nerves.  She  nearly 
fainted  in  her  room  a  few  moments  ago/ ' 

"Indeed!" 

"Oh!  don't  be  alarmed — it  won't  spoil  your 
beautiful  wedding.  And  there  wasn't  the 
slightest  cause  for  Kate  to  faint.  I  was  mere 
ly  chatting  with  her  about  the  latest  news  in 
England." 

"I  should  be  glad  to  hear  some  myself; 
couldn't  get  over  last  season  as  usual." 

"Well — let  me  see;  I  don't  know  where 

190 


WHICH  WOULD  BE  A  WIFE? 

to  begin.  The  Reverend  Lord  John  Vernor — 
that's  it — I'll  begin  with  the  Church — he  has 
thrown  up  his  profession,  you  know." 

"So  Cornelia  wrote  me  in  her  last  letter." 

"And  everybody  takes  it  for  granted  he'll 
go  into  the  army  at  last." 

''I  never  met  Lord  John,  but  Lady  Betty 
Arden  told  Cornelia  his  engagement  was  off." 

"I  was  just  telling  Kate  about  it.  The 
Honorable  Dorothea  Catherst  is  now  helping 
the  new  rector,  Dr.  Lyell,  in  his  arduous 
duties.  In  my  own  opinion,  Dorothea  has 
long  intended  to  marry  the  Rector  of  Pengrue- 
Catherst;  who  he  happens  to  be  as  a  man  is  a 
mere  incident  and  it  doesn't  interest  her. 
When  Lord  John  Vernor  chucked  the  rector 
ship  Dorothea  chucked  him.  The  Reverend 
Doctor  Lyell  will  probably  take  her  over  with 
the  parsonage  and  the  living;  and  he  couldn't 
do  better.  She's  the  most  beautiful  woman 
in  the  county  as  well  as  the  most  religious. 
Did  Cornelia  tell  you  about  Captain  Lord 
Ffolliet  Pengrue?  He  has  thrown  up  his 
commission  in  the  Hussars  to  take  orders 
— from  the  Bishop  instead  of  the  War  Office." 

"She  wrote  me  something  else  about  the 
Captain.  You  are  going  to  marry  him." 

191 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


"H-sh!  The  first  year  isn't  up  by  three 
months.  But  I  did  tell  a  few  women  friends 
in  strict  confidence;  that's  the  only  way  I've 
announced  our  engagement  to  the  public  yet. 
And  that  reminds  me  of  Kate's  fainting- 
spell  upstairs  just  now.  I  was  saying  to  her 
in  a  whisper  that  I  expected  to  marry  the 
Reverend  Lord — it  was  at  that  very  moment 
she  toppled  over  into  my  arms.  But  she 
pulled  herself  out  of  it  before  I  could  reach 
for  my  vinaigrette  and  told  the  maid  to  go 
on  with  her  bridal  veil;  then  I  finished  the 
sentence — to  marry  the  Reverend  Lord  Ffol- 
liet  Pengrue.  Kate  burst  into  laughter.  Her 
veil  is  a  dream  of  beauty.  I  do  hope  she 
and  Archibald  will  be  as  happy  a  pair  of 
turtle-doves  as  Sir  William  and  I  were.  But 
Archibald  is  dangerously  young.  You  men 
are  such  faithful  creatures — at  seventy.  Ffol- 
liet  is  young,  but  in  marrying  him  I  feel  that 
I  am  taking  out  a  love-insurance  policy." 

"He  expects  to  be  a  missionary,  I  under 
stand." 

"M-m." 

"And  you  a  missionary's  wife!" 

"In  Central  Africa.     I'm  looking  forward 

192 


WHICH  WOULD  BE  A  WIFE? 

with  joy  to  our  honeymoon  there.  A  crowd 
of  dear  little  black  babies  around  me;  I'll 
wash  'em  and  he'll  baptize  them.  I  shall 
start  a  Smart  Set  in  Central  Africa." 

"And  get  fashion  plates  from  London,  if 
Lord  Ffolliet  can  persuade  the  black  ladies 
to  put  something  on.  The  term  'decollete' 
is  the  most  elastic  word  in  any  language; 
but  the  African  ladies  have  discovered  its 
limits — the  ground." 

"  I  shall  have  a  large  field  of  usefulness  and 
much  to  interest  me  as  a  missionary's  wife 
in  African  Society.  Well,  Romeo,  are  you 
going  on? — or  shall  I  replace  my  glove?" 

With  a  coquettish  smile,  raising  her  hand. 
He  seizes  and  kisses  it;  then  looks  into  her 
face. 

"Do  you  think  I  shall  be  satisfied  any 
more  than  Romeo  himself  with  a  mere  un 
gloved  hand?" 

He  extends  his  arm  slowly,  still  keeping 
his  eyes  on  her,  and  places  it  about  her  waist. 
She  starts  slightly,  puts  her  own  hand  to  his 
and  holds  it  away,  looking  up  half  over  her 
shoulder;  speaks  with  deep  impression: — 

"Mr.  Wolfe!    Cornelia1" 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


"No,  you  don't!" 

This  sharply,  and  bringing  up  his  hand 
before  her  face  with  the  fore-finger  extended. 

"You  don't  save  me  from  myself  again; 
you've  done  that  three  times  before." 

And  he  turns  away  from  her,  striding  across 
the  room. 

"I'll  save  myself  this  time." 

Lady  Sin  bursts  into  a  peal  of  laughter 
and  swings  around  to  the  steps,  running  up 
and  looking  back,  at  the  top. 

"De  Peyster!" 

He  turns  and  looks  at  her. 

"Meet  me  in  Central  Africa!" 

She  disappears  in  the  music  room. 

"I'll  be  hanged  if  I  do!" 

Mr.  de  Peyster  Wolfe  gazes  a  moment  at 
the  vacuum  she  has  left;  then  laughs  heartily, 
but  stops  suddenly. 

"Dear  Cornelia!" 

Mr.  Franklin  Tenbroeck  steps  into  the  room 
from  the  entrance  hall. 

"Mr.  Wolfe!" 

"Mr.  Tenbroeck!" 

"Has  the  bride  come  down  yet?" 

"Yes!" 

194 


WHICH  WOULD  BE  A  WIFE? 

"I  wish  to  see  Kate.  Would  you  kindly 
speak  to  her  for  me?" 

"Certainly." 

"Thank  you — alone — here." 

Mr.  Wolfe  moves  briskly  up  the  steps  and 
into  the  music  room.  Franklin  Tenbroeck 
crosses  to  the  flower-covered  fireplace  and 
stands  looking  down  at  it  without  the  slight 
est  regard  to  its  present  disguise;  he  even 
turns  as  if  warming  himself,  as  men  in  deep 
thought  usually  do  before  fire-screens  in  sum 
mer. 

The  servant  comes  in  from  the  hall,  holding 
back  the  portiere  and  raising  his  arm  towards 
the  music  room.  Two  more  pretty  bridesmaids 
enter,  passing  up  the  steps  and  out.  Ten 
broeck,  still  absorbed  in  his  thoughts,  recrosses 
the  room  with  bowed  head  and  with  his  hands 
clasped  behind  him.  Mr.  de  Peyster  Wolfe 
re-appears;  motions  as  if  to  an  unseen  servant, 
and  the  huge  double  portieres  of  the  music 
room  are  drawn  together  in  front  of  him; 
except  that  he  holds  back  one  side  with  his 
extended  hand  as  Kate  Hardenbeck  passes 
through  the  opening.  He  drops  the  portiere 
behind  her  and  disappears  from  view. 

195 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


"  You  wished  to  see  me,  Uncle  Franklin." 

"Yes,  Kate." 

She  stands  in  her  full  bridal  costume  look 
ing  down  at  him  and  she  seems  a  Duchess 
already. 

"Are  you  going  to  read  me  a  loving  sermon 
on  the  solemnity  of  marriage?  Wait  until 
we  return  from  the  church.  I  have  been 
laughing  with  the  rest  of  them — let  me  go  on 
laughing!" 

She  drops  her  face  into  both  her  hands  and 
sobs. 

"Let  me  go  on  laughing!" 

Tenbroeck  walks  to  the  steps  and  extends 
his  hand  upward  to  her. 

"Kate!" 

She  moves  down  to  him  and  her  head  falls 
upon  his  breast;  his  arm  is  about  her. 

"  Before  I  tell  you  my  errand  here"- 

"  You  are  to  be  one  of  our  bridal  party." 

"  I  am  not  here  for  that  purpose." 

She  looks  up  at  him,  surprised. 

"  I  have  a  very  serious  question  to  ask  you, 
my  dear  girl.  Do  you  love  Archibald  Pen- 
grue?" 

She  controls  her  tears  and  the  convulsive 

196 


WHICH  WOULD  BE  A  WIFE? 

movement  of  her  breast;  then  walks  away 
from  him. 

"The  Bishop  is  going  to  ask  me  that  ques 
tion  in  a  few  moments.  My  answer  to  it  is 
in  the  prayer  book,  printed." 

"In  your  heart?" 

"The  Bishop  won't  be  so  inquisitive.  But 
mine  is  the  same  answer  I  suppose  that  many 
other  girls  make  at  the  altar.  Let  me  quote 
it  to  you  from  my  heart:  'I  am  doing  the  most 
natural  thing  in  the  world  for  a  young  girl; 
I'm  getting  married;  and  I  prefer  this  man 
to  any  other  that  has  asked  me  to  marry  him. 
It  will  be  my  duty  to  take  the  best  possible 
care  of  him  and  I  shall  do  it.  Perhaps  I 
shall  love  him  after  we  have  been  married 
awhile.'  Half  the  women  in  the  congregation 
will  find  it  all  in  their  own  prayer-books, 
reading  between  the  lines.  For  special  occa 
sions  like  this  there  is  an  addition  to  the  form 
in  the  unprinted  marriage-service  of  a  girl's 
heart:  This  particular  man  is  a  nobleman 
and  a  fine  fellow  too.  He  will  expect  me  to 
preside  with  dignity  at  his  table  and  to 
decorate  his  home  as  a  Countess;  afterwards 
as  a  Duchess.  I  will  do  my  duty/  " 

197 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


"You  have  answered  my  question.  You 
do  not  love  him." 

Kate  is  silent  and  motionless. 

"  I  will  now  say  this:  he  does  not  love  you." 

"  If  he  did  love  me,  I  should  not  do  him 
the  wicked  wrong  to  marry  him.  We  quite 
understand  each  other." 

"Lord  John  Vernor  is  here  with  me,  Kate; 
in  another  room." 

She  starts  and  stares  at  him;  then  ap 
proaches  him. 

"At  this  house?    Now!" 

"He  came  to  my  office  and  we  have  been 
closeted  together." 

"Go  on!" 

"  He  urged  me  to  come  here  on  behalf  of  the 
Earl  Catherst." 

"Of— of— Archibald!" 

"I  refused  to  do  so;  and  I  insisted  on  Lord 
John  accompanying  me  himself  to  meet  you 
at  once.  He  has  consented  with  great  hesi 
tation  to  deliver  a  message  which  I  declined 
to  deliver.  It  is  for  him  to  do  so  as  the  friend 
of  Earl  Catherst;  not  for  me." 

"A  message — to  me — from  Archibald?" 

"  Yes.     If  you  do  not  care  to  see  Lord  John 

198 


WHICH  WOULD  BE  A  WIFE? 

I  will  bring  him  and  your  father  together. 
But  the  message  affects  you  more  than  any 
one  else  in  the  world  and  we  can  consult  with 
your  father  afterwards.  It  will  be  for  you  in 
any  case  to  give  the  final  answer.  Will  you 
see  Lord  John  Vernor?" 

"Yes." 

"  If  you  wish  any  service  from  me,  Kate, 
after  you  have  met  him,  I  shall  be  within  call/' 

He  steps  to  her  side  and  takes  her  hand. 

"  But  from  this  moment  you  are  a  young 
girl  no  longer.  It  is  for  a  woman  to  decide 
her  own  future  and  that  of  another  woman." 

"Another  woman?" 

"I  cannot  help  you." 

He  kisses  her  forehead  and  turns  away, 
passing  out  to  the  entrance  hall.  Kate  moves 
a  step  forward, gazing  intently  after  him.  She 
listens  and  waits. 

Lord  John  Vernor  comes  into  the  room 
and  stops  near  the  entrance,  facing  Kate.  The 
clerical  figure  she  has  remembered  is  not  be 
fore  her;  she  has  never  seen  this  fashionably 
dressed  man  arrayed  for  a  wedding  and  look 
ing  at  her  quietly  through  a  single  glass.  He 
seems  almost  a  stranger  to  her.  They  bow 

199 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


with  a  courtesy  abnormally  calm  and  formal. 

"Miss  Hardenbeck!" 

"Lord  John  Vernor!     Archibald  is  well?" 

"  Perfectly.  He  is  on  his  way  to  the  church, 
I  presume.  I  am  to  meet  him  in  the  vestry — 
pardon  me!" — 

He  looks  at  his  watch. 

"  In  fifteen  minutes.  I  trust  you  will  for 
give  my  intrusion  here  at  such  a  time." 

"Mr.  Tenbroeck  said  you  came  with  hesi 
tation  and  at  his  own  request ;  after  his  refusal 
to  deliver  a  message  himself — from  Archibald 
to  me." 

"It  is  certainly  my  duty,  not  Mr.  Ten- 
broeck's." 

"What  is  the  message?" 

"The  Earl  Catherst  cannot  go  on  with  the 
ceremony" — 

"How!    He— he  cannot "- 

"I  don't  mean  that — you  misunderstood 
me — it  is  only  my  awkwardness.  I  'm  a  duffer, 
Miss  Hardenbeck.  By  this  time  Archibald 
is  already  waiting,  as  I  have  said" 

"To  meet  me  at  the  chancel." 

"Yes." 

''Well?— well!" 

200 


WHICH  WOULD  BE  A  WIFE? 

"  But  he  feels,  as  I  intended  to  say,  that  he 
cannot  go  on  unless  you  shall  first  know  cer 
tain  facts;  and  the  rest  will  lie  strictly  with 
you.  Justice  to  you,  he  thinks,  to  say  nothing 
of  other  motives,  compels  him  to  this  course. 
To  be  quite  frank,  he  became  nearly  wild 
this  morning,  almost  beside  himself,  and  he 
compelled  me  to  promise  him  that  you  should 
know  the  whole  truth  before  you  stood  at  the 
altar  with  him.  I  am  complying  with  his 
request  because  I  also  think  it  is  just,  both 
to  you  and  to  another." 

"  Be  seated/' 

"Thank  you!" 

They  both  sit. 

"Justice  to  me — and  to  another  woman- 
Mr.  Tenbroeck  spoke  of  her." 

"You  remember  there  was  a  young  girl 
at  Thrummock  Hall  last  September,  a  com 
panion  of  the  Duchess  of  Mannerton." 

"Bianca  Dunn;  of  course.  I  was  much 
interested  in  her.  I  did  hope  she  and  the 
Reverend  Mr.  Lyell"- 

" Doctor  Lyell  is  absorbed  in  his  work: 
assisted  by  Miss  Catherst." 

"Lady  Sinjon-Glyn  told  me,  this  evening, 


201 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


that  you  and  Miss  Dorothea  Catherst  had"— 

"Miss  Catherst  expressed  to  me  the  opinion 
that  our  union  would  not  be  conducive  to  the 
welfare  of  the  parish.  It  was  her  duty." 

"Mr.  Lyell,  then,  has  finally  deserted  Bianca. 
Do  you  think  the  girl  entirely  recovered  from 
the  terrible  accident  that  night  when  she  fell 
into  the  river?  We  left  Thrummock  Hall 
very  early  the  next  morning,  you  know." 

"It  was  not  an  accident." 

"I  guessed  that." 

"It  was  Bianca's  own  wild  effort  under  the 
impulse  of  the  moment  to  escape  from  the 
intolerable  position  in  which  she  stood;  be 
tween  the  Earl  Catherst  and  yourself." 

Kate  springs  to  her  feet.  She  puts  her 
hand  to  her  head  as  if  dazed. 

"The  Earl  Catherst!— and— and— me?" 

"The  relations  between  them  had  been 
those  of  man  and  wife." 

She  starts  slightly  and  looks  at  him;  rigid. 

"Duffer  again,  Miss  Hardenbeck.  I  in 
tended  to  get  up  to  that  gradually." 

"And  this  is  his  message  to  me." 

"No.     I  am  coming  to  that." 

"  You — you  have  more  than  that  to  tell  me?  " 

202 


WHICH  WOULD  BE  A  WIFE? 

"Archibald  offered  his  hand  in  marriage 
at  her  bedside  that  night." 

"  I  see.  He  was  right.  That  is  his  message." 

"No.     I  haven't  got  to  that  yet." 

"For  Heaven's  sake!"— 

"One  moment,  please." 

The  single  glass  has  dropped  and  the  eti 
quette  of  that  curious  disc  is  its  careful  re 
adjustment  before  proceeding  with  any  sub 
ject.  Lord  John  wipes  it  slowly  and  returns 
it  to  his  eye.  His  revived  military  hopes  may 
have  made  him  more  deliberate  in  speech. 

"Pray  go  on!" 

"  Bianca  refused  the  offer." 

"Indeed!" 

"For  the  same  reason  that  the — the 
'accident' — occurred;  she  would  not  stand 
in  his  way.  The  next  day  she  disappeared 
utterly." 

"Bianca  disappeared!" 

"Every  effort  to  find  where  she  had  gone 
failed.  Not  to  her  native  country,  so  far 
as  we  could  discover;  and  we  were  forced  to 
believe  at  last  that  she  was  dead;  all  of  us 
except  the  old  Duke." 

"Poor  little  girl!" 

203 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


Then,  with  a  sudden  thought,  Katefaceshim. 

"You  knew  the  truth  that  night?" 

"Yes." 

"And  neither  you  nor  Archibald  thought 
it  necessary  to  inform  me — then  or  since." 

"Why  should  we?" 

"Exactly; — why  should  you?  You  have 
simply  let  me  go  on  with  our  marriage  con 
tract." 

"Why  not?" 

"Oh!— I  understand." 

"You  did  not  love  him." 

"And  you  despised  me;  you  had  told  me 
that  already." 

Lord  John  does  not  speak. 

"I  understand.  Why  indeed  should  you 
give  a  second  thought  to  a  creature  like  me? 
I  know  now  what  utter  contempt  for  me  you 
felt.  A  woman  without  a  soul!" 

She  sinks  into  a  chair,  her  head  falling  over 
between  her  arms;  catches  her  breath  a 
moment,  and  sobs  at  last  convulsively. 

"Kate!" 

"You  despise  me  still!  I  could  bear  it 
then,  but  I  cannot  bear  it  now." 

"Forgive  me!" 

204 


WHICH  WOULD  BE  A  WIFE? 

He  rises  and  moves  to  her,  looking  down 
at  her  as  she  goes  on  in  broken  tones  :— 

"I  am  weak;  crushed  by  all  the  suffering 
I  have  had — and  to-day  I  am  frightened.  All 
pride  has  gone  away  from  me;  I  cannot  even 
be  angry  with  you.  You  have  a  right  to 
despise  me  now;  but  don't  tell  me  so  to-day — 
don't  tell  me! — I  cannot  bear  it.  I  met  your 
contempt  with  anger  then.  I  asked  you  to 
hate  me;  and  I — I  thought  for  a  little  while- 
only  for  a  little  while,  that  I  was  hating  you. 
I  thought  I  hated  you  until  that  day  when 
they  told  me  you  were  dying." 

"Until  that  day!  You  were  at  my  bed 
side." 

"With  Dorothea;  yes." 

"Only  with  her?" 

Silence. 

"A  haunting  fancy  of  that  evening  has 
never  left  me;  it  comes  back  to  me — at  any 
time — day  or  night:  I  start  suddenly — and 
think.  The  more  I  try  to  think,  the  more 
surely  the  will-o-the-wisp  eludes  me." 

"You  may  think  what  you  please  about 
me  now.  All  pride  is  gone." 

"Tell  me  the  honest  truth!" 

205 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


'I  could  not  bear  the  thought  that  you 
should  pass  away — forever! — without "- 

"It  was  you  that  started  the  warm  blood 
through  my  veins  that  night !  I  know  now, 
Kate!  It  was  not  delirium!  I  could  never 
separate  that  wonderful  moment  from  my 
other  fancies — but  I  know  now!  It  was  the 
pressure  of  your  lips  on  mine  that  brought 
me  back  to  life." 

"It  was  I  that  kissed  you,  John.  You  see 
how  weak  I  am  to-day.  You  may  despise 
me  now." 

"I  lied  when  I  told  you  I  despised  you, 
Kate." 

She  looks  up  at  him  with  a  quick,  sharp 
motion  of  the  head. 

"  I  lied  to  you  meanly;  as  a  strong  man  can 
lie  to  the  woman  he  loves;  and  only  to  her." 

"To  the — the  woman  he  loves!" 

She  raises  her  arms  to  him;  he  seizes  them. 

"I  was  defending  myself  against  my  own 
heart;  and  I  have  lost  the  fight." 

"The  woman  you  love!" 

Lifting  herself  towards  him. 

"  Loved  since  I  first  looked  into  your  eyes, 
Kate!" 

206 


WHICH  WOULD  BE  A  WIFE? 

"At  one  of  the  open  gates "- 

"The  flames  of  Hell  were  shining  in  my 
face  then;  it  is  Heaven's  own  light  that  shines 
on  me  now — from  your  face,  dear." 

Bringing  her  to  his  breast.  Their  lips  press 
tightly;  then  her  head  drops,  as  if  love  too 
long  suppressed  had  overpowered  her. 

"  I  have  suffered  as  well  as  you,  Kate;  but 
we're  not  suffering  just  now,  dear,  are  we?" 

"Suffering!" 

She  laughs  gently  and  nestles  her  head  more 
closely  to  his  neck.  He  raises  his  hand  to 
stroke  her  head  tenderly — suddenly  pauses; 
then  lifts  a  spray  from  her  veil. 

"Orange  blossoms!" 

Kate  springs  up,  turning  away  from  him 
with  a  startled  look. 

"That  is  the  way  I  am  delivering  a  message 
from  my  dearest  friend — he's  waiting  for  me 
at  the  church.  The  message  is  still  unfinished ." 

"Tell  me!" 

"When  I  arrived  last  evening  in  our  be 
lated  steamer,  Archibald  was  not  at  the  pier 
to  meet  me,  nor  at  the  hotel.  In  the  room 
assigned  to  me,  I  found  a  cable-despatch  from 
the  Duke  of  Mannerton  lying  on  a  desk,  and  a 

207 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


single  line  from  Archibald  lay  beside  it — This 
will  tell  you  where  to  find  me/  You  know 
how  much  the  old  Duke  loved  Bianca  Dunn." 

"Yes." 

"  He  had  never  given  up  his  efforts,  and  his 
despatch  to  Archibald  told  him  where  Bianca 
had  been  found  at  last  by  his  agents;  among 
poor  foreigners  in  New  York,  Greeks  and 
Syrians  and  other  unhappy  creatures  in 
dire  poverty.  The  Duke's  message  ended 
with  the  words;  Take  all  odds  offered  on  my 
horse  at  Sandown/  I  hurried  into  a  carriage 
and  drove  to  the  place  indicated  in  the  cable. 
It  was  in  a  wretched  district  of  this  great  city; 
but  you  wouldn't  know  it." 

"The  lower  east  side." 

"I  dare  say." 

"  I  know  the  poverty  there  too  well." 

"  I  found  a  room  at  last,  for  the  direction 
was  minute.  The  old  Duke  hadn't  saved 
words.  His  son,  the  Earl  Catherst,  heir  of 
the  dukedom,  was  sitting  beside  a  broken 
bed  with  a  thin,  pale  hand  in  his  own." 

"Poor  Bianca!" 

"She  was  smiling  happily.  A  new-born 
child  lay  upon  the  pillow  by  her  face." 

208 


WHICH  WOULD  BE  A  WIFE? 

Kate  turns  quickly  with  a  step  towards  him. 

"That  is  my  message/' 

She  sinks  into  a  chair  and  looks  straight  be 
fore  her. 

'Archibald  insisted  that  you  should  know 
the  truth  if  you  met  him  at  the  steps  of  the 
altar  to-day." 

"  If  we  should  kneel  together  at  the  chancel- 
rail!  The  blessing  of  the  Church  would  rest 
upon  our  union  and  Bianca  Dunn  would  be 
lying  in  her  bed  with  his  child  by  her  side. 
Which  of  us  two  women  would  be  his  wife?" 

"God  alone  can  tell  us  that.  His  answer 
will  be  in  the  hearts  of  men  some  day.  Let 
the  Church  be  silent  and  listen:  the  Law  may 
close  its  book  and  wait." 

"In  His  eyes!" 

Kate  rises  with  upraised  arms. 

"Which  would  be  a  wife? — and  which  of 
us  would  be  his  mistress? — in  the  eyes  of 
God!" 

"Is  the  bride  ready?" 

Mr.  de  Peyster  Wolfe  has  re-appeared,  and 
the  heavy  curtains  roll  back  from  the  great 
arch  of  the  music  room. 

"  I  am  quite  ready." 

209 


KATE  :  A  COMEDY 


"William!" 

The  servant  enters  from  the  hall.    Kate:— 

"Say  to  Mr.  Tenbroeck  that  I  wish  to  see 
him." 

"And  draw  open  the  hall  portiere,  please, 
William." 

Mr.  de  Peyster  Wolfe  now  signals  back  into 
the  music  room.  There  is  sudden  harmony 
from  string  and  reeds.  Lady  St.  John-Glyn 
comes  in  and  walks  down  with  Mr.  Wolfe. 
Herbert  and  Reginald,  leading  the  brides 
maids,  move  through  the  arch  and  are  descend 
ing  the  steps.  Maid-servants  appear  from  a  side 
door  watching  with  interest.  Mr.  Tenbroeck 
has  walked  in  from  the  hall  and  he  looks  in 
quiringly  across  to  Kate.  Old  Mr.  Harden- 
beck  and  the  sweet  little  "Mother"  appear 
after  the  bridesmaids. 

"Stop!" 

Everybody  turns  and  looks  at  Kate;  half 
of  the  bridesmaids  still  on  the  steps  or  leaning 
over  the  balustrade.  She  crosses  the  room 
to  her  friend. 

"  Mr.  Tenbroeck !  Will  you  take  a  message 
for  me  to  the  Earl  Catherst,  at  the  church?" 

He  inclines  his  head  gravely. 

210 


WHICH  WOULD  BE  A  WIFE? 

"  You  have  decided." 

"I  wish  him  and  the  future  Duchess  of 
Mannerton  long  life  and  much  happiness; 
she  is  waiting  for  him  elsewhere.  There  will 
be  no  wedding  to-day." 

All  are  startled  and  show  general  astonish 
ment.  Kate  looks  with  a  smile  at  Lord  John. 

"Well— by  thunder!— Mother!" 

Mrs.  Hardenbeck's  head  is  buried  in  her 
husband's  ample  breast. 

"The  more  a  man  sees  of  his  own  daughter 
the  less  he  knows  about  girls." 


THE   END 


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LIBRARY,  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  DAVIS 

Book  Slip-50m-8,'66(G5530s4)458 


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